US3406634A

US3406634A - Air conditioner compressor

Info

Publication number: US3406634A
Application number: US641983A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin J Ounsted
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1967-05-29
Filing date: 1967-05-29
Publication date: 1968-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1985-10-22

Description

Oct. 22, 1968 E. J. OUNSTED 3,406,634

A IR CONDIT IONER COMPRES SOR Filed May 29. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 22, 1968 E. J. OUNSTED 3,406,634

AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR Filed May 29, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\k m y wN Z N\ \N N W 53% Q C w WWW MW m Oct. 22, 1968 E. J. OUNSTED 3,406,634

AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR Filed May 29, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 i f3 9, 5% f7 1- f? i /7 f4 2 ZJzazkr Q7. BY

United States Patent 3,406,634 AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR Edwin J. Ounsted, Ann Arbor, Mich., assignor to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 29, 1967, Ser. No. 641,983 Claims. (Cl. 103-121) ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE vAn air conditioning compressor assembly having a stationary vane carrying member or stator surrounded by a floating cylinder. A rotor or housing mounted for rotation about the axis of the stator surrounds the floating cylinder and has internal eccentric hubs on which the floating cylinder is journalled. As the housing is rotated, the floating cylinder is oscillated around the vane carrying stator. This oscillation causes inward and outward movement of the vanes and a pumping action between the stator and the floating cylinder.

Summary of the invention Air conditioning compressors used in motor vehicle air conditioning systems are subject to a number of design limitations which as yet have not been fully satisfied. There are definite size limitations that must be met since the modern engine compartment with all the power accessories to be found therein, such as power steering units, power brake units, smog control units, oversize bat: teries and the like, make it almost impossible to find room for the air conditioning system. The compressor must operate efliciently over a wide range of speeds since in most cases the compressor is directly driven from the engine and is directly responsive to the speed of the engine. The compressor must have low noise and vibration characteristics. This latter feature has become increasingly important since much time and money is being spent on reducing all external engine and body noises that'could be transmitted to the passenger compartment.

It has been found that a vane type pump or compressor has distinct advantages over a piston type compressor particularly from the standpoint of noise, vibration and harshness. A conventional type vane compressor in which the vanes are carried by a rotor rotating within a stationary housing has the undesirable feature, however, that the vanes are subject to high frictional wear as they are dragged around the walls of the pump chamber.

The present invention has as its objective the provision of a vane type pump or compressor in which the frictional engagement of the vanes with the inner surfaces of the compression chamber is a negligible factor in the life of the pump or compressor. I

The air conditioner compressor assembly embodying the present invention comprises a stationary cylindrical vane carrying member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes mounted therein and having separate fluid inlet and outlet ports circumferentially spaced between said vanes in communication with inlet and outlet conduits, respectively. A vane retainer cylinder encompasses said vane carrying member. This vane retainer cylinder has a cylindrical body portion of an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the vane carrying member to thereby provide a plurality of compression chambers separated by the vanes of the vane carrying member. The stationary cylindrical vane carrying member and the vane retainer cylinder are housed within a rotary housing mounted for rotation about the axis of the vane carrying member. This rotary housing encompasses the vane retainer cylinder in spaced radial relation- Ice ship to the cylindrical body portion of the latter and has internal eccentric hubs on which the vane retainer cylinder is journalled.

Rotation of the rotary housing, by means'of a belt drive, with the belt being received on a pulley portion of the housing, causes the vane retainer cylinder to oscillate on the eccentric hubs around the vane carrying member. The oscillatory motion of the v-ane retainer cylinder causes inward and outward movement of the vanes in a fluid compression action in the several compression chambers between the stationary vane carrying member and the vane retainer cylinder.

Description of the drawing Further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of the compressor embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view on the line 66 of FIG. 3.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings, the compressor assembly generally designated 11, is illustrated as being mounted on a simple support stand 12 having a base 13 and upstanding legs 14 and 15. It will be understood, however, that the support stand 12 would have a more sophisticated design to fit the packaging conditions of the vehicle engine with which it would be associated as part of a vehicle air conditioning system.

Fixedly mounted on the support stand 12 is a stationary cylindrical vane carrying member or stator, generally designated 16. The vane carrying member 16 has a cylindrical body portion 17 and two hollow cylindrical or

tubular appendages

18 and 19 projecting axially from respective sides of the cylindrical body portion 17.-The

tubular appendages

18 and 19 extend to the support stand legs 14 and 15, respectively, where they are clamped by capplates 21, see FIG. 1.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vane carrying member 16 is radially slotted to receive a plurality of radially extending vanes 22. As illustrated, there are four of these vanes 22. These vanes are paired so that each vane has another vane diametrically opposite-to it. As shown in FIG. 4, each pair of vanes are in alignment with a pair of rods 23 which extend through suitable apertures 24 in the cylindrical body portion 17. Between the ends of the rods 23 and the vanes 22 are compression springs 25 contained in spring pockets 26. The purpose of this construction and arrangement will be hereinafter explained.

The cylindrical body portion 17 of vane carrying member 16 and the vanes 22 mounted therein are encompassed by a vane retainer cylinder, generally designated 27. The vane retainer cylinder 27 has an annular or ring-like body portion 28 of an internal diameter somewhat greater than the external diameter of the cylindrical body portion 17 of the vane carrying member 16 (see FIG. 3). The annular body portion 28 is closed at both ends by end plates 29 which have central hub portions 31. The end plates 29 are bolted, as by bolts 32, to the end faces of the annular body portion 28. The vane retainer cylinder is supported on needle bearings 33 mounted within the hub portions 31, as will be more fully explained.

The vane retainer cylinder 27 and the vane carrying member 16 contained therein are both encompassed by a rotary housing, generally .designated 34. The rotary housing 34 is fabricated of a number of parts which include a tubular body portion 35 having its inner bore 36 eccentrically offset from its outer cylindrical surface 37 (see FIG. 3). At its right end as viewed in FIG. 2, the tubular body portion 35 has an integral reduced diameter portion 38 having in its surface a V-belt receiving groove 39.'The groove 39 is adapted to receive a V-belt 41 coupled to a suitable driving pulley (not shown) on a prime mover such as an automobile engine.

The right end of the tubular body portion 35, as viewed in FIG. 2, is closed by an end face plate 42 having an inwardly extending cylindrical portion 43 terminating in a stepped portion 44 which forms an eccentric hub 45 against which the needle bearings 33 revolve.

The hub 45 is bored concentrically with the tubular appendage 19 of the vane carrying member 16 and is rotatably journalled for rotation on the latter by a needle bearing assembly 46.

The left end of the tubular body portion 35 has a cylindrical extension 46 bolted thereon to balance the integral cylindrical extension 38 at the right side of the body portion 35. The cylindrical extension 47 is closed by an end face plate 48 which is symmetrical to the end face plate 42. The end face plate 48 has an inwardly extending cylindrical portion 43 terminating in the accentric hub 45 against which the left end needle bearings 33 revolve. A needle bearing assembly 46 rotatably journals the left end of rotary housing 34 on the tubular extension 18 of the vane carrying member 16.

In FIG. 2 the conduit 49 of the tubular appendage 19 is labelled SUCTION and the conduit 51 of the tubular appendage 18 is labelled DISCHARGE. The fiow of fluid, such as Freon, through the compressor from the suction side to the discharge side is controlled by four pairs of reed valves, there being one pair of such reed valves between each pair of vanes 22, or in effect, one pair of valves for each of the four compression chambers defined by the four vanes.

Between each pair of vanes 22, the vane carrying member 16 has an axially extending slot 52 which has bolted therein a suction reed valve assembly 53. The reed valve assembly comprises a reed valve retainer plate 54 which is attached by bolts to the vane carrying member. Bolted at one end by a bolt 56 to the outer surface of the retainer plate 54 is a resilient reed 57. The free end of the reed overlies an aperture 58 in the retainer plate 54 which is in communication with the passageway 59 through the cylindrical body portion 17. The passageway 59 communicates with the suction inlet 49.

It will be noted that the suction reed valves 53 open into the compressor chambers formed by each pair of vanes 22 and the opposing circumferential surfaces 61 and 62 of the cylindrical body portion 17 and the annular body portion 28 of the vane carrying member 16 and the vane retainer cylinder 27.

Between each pair of vanes 22, the vane carrying member 16 has a second axially extending slot 63 which is counterbored to provide a recess 64. The slot 63 has bolted therein by bolts 65 a discharge reed valve assembly 66. The discharge reed valve assembly comprises a reed valve retainer plate 67 to which is bolted by bolt 68 a resilient reed valve 69. The free end of valve 69 is positioned to cover aperture 71 in the retainer plate 67. This aperture 71 is in communication with the compression chamber between the related vane 22.

It will be noted in FIG. 2 that the reed valve 69 defleets downwardly into recess 64 to permit communication between aperture 71 and passageway 72 in the vane carrying member 16 leading to discharge conduit 51.

The vane carrying member 16 and the vane retainer cylinder 27 are sealed against any leakage of refrigerant, such as Freon, by a plurality of strategically located carbon seals, O-rings and the like. Examples are the carbon seals 73 and the O-rings 74 located around the

tubular appendages

18 and 19 outboard of the eccentric hubs 45. Two other important carbon seals are the seals 75 surrounding the cylindrical portion 43 of the housing end face plates 42.

No attempt is made to seal the rotary housing 34. On the contrary, the housing 34 has a plurality of air inlet apertures 76 in its cylindrical extension 74. The tubular body portion 35 of the housing 34 has a plurality of angularly inclined slots 77 providing air outlets for the air taken in through the inlet 76. This fiow of air is intended to cool the working parts of the compressor as they become heated through the compression action on the refrigerant.

Operation The operation of the compressor is relatively simple. It is driven by a conventional V-belt 41 which rotates the outer housing 34 about the axis of the vane carrying member 16. Because of the eccentricity of the hubs 45 on which the vane retainer cylinder 27 is supported by the needle bearings 33, the vane retainer cylinder 27 iscaused to oscillate about the axis of the vane carrying member 16. Because of this oscillation, the chambers between the vanes 22 are constantly going through a series of volumetric expansions and contractions. This is best seen with reference to FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the chamber between the uppermost two of the vanes 22 is at its minimum volume whereas the chamber between the two lowermost vanes 22 is at its maximum volume.

The refrigerant to be compressed enters through the suction conduit 49 which is in communication through four suction passageways 59 with each of the suction reed valve assemblies 53. In those chambers which are undergoing volumetric expansion, the suction reed valves 57 will be opened into the chambers permitting the flow of refrigerant therethrough. Once the vane retainer cylinder 27 has oscillated to a position in which a chamber begins to compress the refrigerant therein, the respective suction valve will automatically be closed and the discharge reed valve assembly 66 will open, that is, the reeds 69 will permit communication between the aperture 71 and the passageway 72 leading to the discharge conduit 51.

Under ideal conditions the only forces directly being exerted on the vanes would be the forces pushing them radially inwardly and outwardly. It will be understood, however, there is some friction in the system and that the vane retainer cylinder will have a tendency to slip relative to the ends of the vanes 22 causing some frictional wear on the vane ends. It will be readily apparent that the frictional engagement between the ends of the vanes and the inner circumference of the vane retainer assembly is a minimal factor compared to the friction that would be encountered if the vane retainer assembly is held stationary and the vane carrying member 17 is rotated as in many conventional rotary type compressors.

It will be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An air conditioner compressor assembly, comprising:

a stationary cylindrical vane carrying member having .a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes mounted therein and having separate fluid inlet and outlet ports circumferentially spaced between said vanes in communication with inlet and outlet conduits, respectively,

a vane retainer cylinder encompassing said vane carrying member,

said vane retainer cylinder having a cylindrical body portion of an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of said vane carrying member to provide a plurality of compression chambers separated by the vanes of the vane carrying member,

and a rotary housing mounted for rotation about the axis of the vane carrying member,

said rotary housing encompassing said vane retainer cylinder in spaced radial relationship to said cylindrical body portion and having internal eccentric hubs on which the vane retainer cylinder is journalled,

rotation of said rotary housing causing said vane retainer cylinder to oscillate on said eccentric hubs about the vane carrying member to cause inward and outward movement of thevanes and a fluid compression action in the several compression chambers between the stationary vane carrying member and the vane retainer cylinder.

2. An air conditioner compressor assembly according to claim 1, in which:

diametrically opposite vanes are synchronized for movement by rod and spring members extending between said vanes through the body of said stationary vane carrying member so that as one vane reaches its minimum projection outwardly of the surface of the vane carrying member the diametrically opposite vane will be urged to its maximum projection outwardly.

3. An air conditioner compressor according to claim 1,

in which:

the rotary housing has a series of cooling air inlets at one end thereof and a plurality of cooling air outlets in the peripheral wall thereof.

4. An air conditioner compressor according to claim 1, in which:

the rotary housing has pulley means at one end thereof adapted to receive a drive belt.

5. An air conditioner compressor according to claim 1,

in which:

the flow of fluid through said inlet and outlet ports is controlled by reed valves peripherally mounted on said stationary cylindrical vane carrying member.

6. An air conditioner compressor according to claim 5, in which:

there is an intake reed valve and a discharge reed valve between each adjacent pair of vanes.

7 An air conditioner compressor assembly comprising:

a stationary cylindrical member having a plurality of substantially radially movable vanes projecting outwardly from the cylindrical surface thereof,

a vane retainer cylinder encompassing said vane carrying member and having its inner circumferential surface in abutting contact with the ends of said radially movable vanes,

the center of said vane retainer cylinder being offset from the center of said stationary cylindrical member,

each pair of adjacent means, the surface of the stationary cylindrical member therebetween and the surface of the vane retainer cylinder between the ends of said means defining a compression chamber, each compression chamber having inlet and outlet reed valves controlling the fluid flow into and out of said compression chambers from and to suction and discharge conduits, respectively, and rotary means supporting said vane retainer cylinder, said rotary means being rotatable about the axis of said stationary cylindrical member and having eccentric hub means journalled in end wall portions of said vane retainer cylinder, rotation of said eccentric hub means in response to rotation of the rotary means causing said vane retainer cylinder to progressively oscillate around said stationary cylindrical member, the oscillation of said vane retainer cylinder causing said vanes to sequentially move outwardly and inwardly and said compression chambers sequentially to enlarge and decrease in volume whereby fluid taken in through said intake reed valves is compressed and discharged through said discharge reed valves. 8. An air conditioner compressor assembly according to claim 7, in which:

diametrically opposite vanes are synchronized for movement by rod and spring members extending between said vanes through the body of said stationary vane carrying member so that as one vane reaches its minimum projection outwardly of the surface of the vane carrying member the diametrically opposite vane will be urged to its maximum projection outwardly. 9. An air conditioner compressor according to claim 7, in which:

the rotary means supporting the vane retainer assembly comprises a rotary housing, said housing having a series of cooling air inlets at one end thereof and a plurality of cooling air outlets in the peripheral wall thereof. 10. An air conditioner compressor according to claim 9, in which:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 399,822 3/1889 Blades 230153 X 1,941,651 1/1934 Behlmer 103-121 X 2,030,952 2/1936 Wishart 103-121 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.