U.S. patent application number 13/501181 was filed with the patent office on 2012-08-02 for compressor.
This patent application is currently assigned to CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATIN. Invention is credited to Yusuke Ise, Keigo Usui.
Application Number | 20120195784 13/501181 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43876156 |
Filed Date | 2012-08-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120195784 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Usui; Keigo ; et
al. |
August 2, 2012 |
COMPRESSOR
Abstract
A compressor includes a front housing having a crank chamber
therein, a cylinder block having a cylinder bore therein, a rear
housing including a low-pressure chamber and a high-pressure
chamber therein, a valve plate on which a suction hole for
communicating the cylinder bore and the low-pressure chamber is
formed, and a suction valve disk for opening and closing the
suction hole. A predetermined gap width is provided between the
suction valve disk and an opening edge of the suction hole, and the
gap width is set to 13-15% of a thickness of the suction valve
disk. By the compressor, fixation of the suction valve on the valve
plate is prevented. Therefore, noise-and-vibration performance
improves and thereby generation of undesired noises is prevented.
Further, since the fixation of the suction valve on the valve plate
is prevented, a desired volume of refrigerant is surely supplied
into the cylinder bore.
Inventors: |
Usui; Keigo; (Ora-gun,
JP) ; Ise; Yusuke; (Ageo-shi, JP) |
Assignee: |
CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATIN
|
Family ID: |
43876156 |
Appl. No.: |
13/501181 |
Filed: |
October 12, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
October 12, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2010/067854 |
371 Date: |
April 10, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
418/268 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 27/1009
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
418/268 |
International
Class: |
F04B 1/12 20060101
F04B001/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 13, 2009 |
JP |
2009-236498 |
Claims
1. A compressor comprising: a front housing that has a crank
chamber therein; a cylinder block that is fixed with the front
housing and has a cylinder bore therein; a rear housing that is
fixed with the cylinder block with interposing a valve plate
therebetween and includes a low-pressure chamber and a
high-pressure chamber therein; the valve plate that is provided
between the cylinder block and the rear housing and on which a
suction hole for communicating the cylinder bore and the
low-pressure chamber is formed; and a suction valve disk that is
attached on a side of the valve plate facing to the cylinder block
and has a suction valve for opening and closing the suction hole,
wherein a gap with a predetermined width is provided between the
suction valve disk and an opening edge portion of the suction hole,
and the width of the gap is set to 13 to 15% of a thickness of the
suction valve disk.
2. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein the width of the
gap is 0.065 to 0.175 mm.
3. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein a groove is
provided outside the opening edge portion.
4. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein the gap is formed
by a press working.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a compressor, especially,
to a compressor that has a suction valve for opening and closing a
suction hole of a valve plate.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In a Patent Document 1 listed below, a swash plate type
variable capacity compressor is disclosed. In this swash plate type
variable capacity compressor, a valve plate is provided between a
cylinder block on which plural cylinder bores are formed and a rear
housing in which a high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber
are formed. On the valve plate, formed are suction holes for
communicating the cylinder bores with the low-pressure chamber. On
a cylinder bore side of each suction holes, provided is a suction
valve for opening and closing the suction hole. In addition, on the
valve plate, formed are discharge holes for communicating the
cylinder bores with the high-pressure chamber. On a high-pressure
chamber side of each discharge hole, provided is a discharge valve
for opening and closing the discharge hole.
[0003] Then, the suction valves are bent toward the cylinder bores
due to a suctioning operation of pistons to open the suction holes,
so that refrigerant is suctioned from the low-pressure chamber to
the cylinder bores. In addition, the discharge valves are bent
toward the high-pressure chamber due to a discharging operation of
the pistons to open the discharge holes, so that high-pressure
refrigerant in the cylinder bores is discharged to the
high-pressure chamber.
[0004] A stroke displacement of the pistons changes according to a
tilting angle of a swash plate, so that a capacity of refrigerant
to be compressed changes. In addition, due to a rotation of the
swash plate, suctioning refrigerant into the cylinder bores and
compressing the refrigerant in the cylinder bores are sequentially
done, and then the high-pressure refrigerant is discharged to the
high-pressure chamber.
[0005] In the above-explained conventional variable capacity
compressor, lubrication oil is mixed in refrigerant to keep
lubricity within the compressor. Therefore, the lubrication oil
infiltrates between an opening edge portion of the suction hole on
the valve plate and the suction valve, so that it is concerned that
the suction valve may be fixed on the valve plate. In this case, a
desired volume of refrigerant cannot be suctioned into the cylinder
bores upon suctioning. In addition, if the suction valve that had
been fixed on the valve plate suddenly separates from the valve
plate, noises may be generated.
[0006] Therefore, in a Patent Document 2, disclosed is a compressor
in which suction valves are prevented from fixing on a valve plate
by providing gaps between the suction valves and the valve
plate.
[0007] However, in this compressor, since the gaps are provided
between the suction valves and the valve plate, a use of extra
parts or a complicated working process is needed and thereby its
production cost may increase.
PRIOR ART DOCUMENT
Patent Document
[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
H7-103138 [0009] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application
Laid-Open No. 2005-42695
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a
compressor that can supply a desired volume of refrigerant into a
cylinder bore without a fixation of a suction vale on a valve plate
and can be easily produced.
[0011] An aspect of the present invention provides a compressor
that includes a front housing that has a crank chamber therein; a
cylinder block that is fixed with the front housing and has a
cylinder bore therein; a rear housing that is fixed with the
cylinder block with interposing a valve plate therebetween and
includes a low-pressure chamber and a high-pressure chamber
therein; the valve plate that is provided between the cylinder
block and the rear housing and on which a suction hole for
communicating the cylinder bore and the low-pressure chamber is
formed; and a suction valve disk that is attached on a side of the
valve plate facing to the cylinder block and has a suction valve
for opening and closing the suction hole, wherein a gap with a
predetermined width is provided between the suction valve disk and
an opening edge portion of the suction hole, and the width of the
gap is set to 13 to 15% of a thickness of the suction valve
disk.
[0012] According to the aspect, the gap is provided between the
opening edge portion of the suction hole and the suction valve and
the width of the gap is set to 13 to 15% of the thickness of the
suction valve disk, so that a fixation of the suction valve on the
valve plate can be prevented. Therefore, noise-and-vibration
performance can improve and thereby generation of undesired noises
can be prevented. In addition, since the fixation of the suction
valve on the valve plate can be prevented, a desired volume of
refrigerant can be surely supplied into the cylinder bore.
[0013] Note that it is preferable that the width of the gap is
0.065 to 0.175 mm when it is presented not as a relative value to
the thickness of the suction valve disk but as an absolute value.
According to this, the above-explained advantages can be
achieved.
[0014] Here, it is preferable that a groove is provided outside the
opening edge portion. According to this, the fixation of the
suction valve on the valve plate can be further prevented by
introducing refrigerant gas into the groove.
[0015] Further here, it is preferable that the gap is formed by a
press working. According to this, it can be easily produced without
using extra parts and can reduce a production cost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is an overall cross-sectional view of a compressor
according to an embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a valve
plate, suction valves and discharge valves in the embodiment.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the valve plate and the suction
valves.
[0019] FIG. 4 (a) is a plan view of the valve plate, and (b) is an
enlarged cross-sectional view taken along a line IVB-IVB shown in
(a).
[0020] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the valve
plate and the suction valve.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a graph chart showing noise-and-vibration
performance and compression performance with respect to a gap width
between the suction valve and an opening edge portion on the valve
plate.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be explained with reference
to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a compressor 100 includes a
housing 1, a valve plate 5 and a suction valve disk 12. The valve
plate 5 is assembled in the housing 1. The suction valve disk 12
includes suction valves 11 for opening and closing suction holes 10
that communicate with a low-pressure chamber 8. The suction holes
10 are provided closer to a center of the valve plate 5, and
discharge holes 16 are provided closer to an outer circumference of
the valve plate 5 (see FIG. 5).
[0023] The housing 1 is comprised of a front housing 2, a cylinder
block 3 and a rear housing 4. A crank chamber 6 is formed in the
front housing 2. The cylinder block 3 is fixed with the front
housing 2. Plural cylinder bores 7 are arranged in the cylinder
block 3. The rear housing 4 is fixed with the cylinder block 3, and
includes the low-pressure chamber 8 for suctioning refrigerant and
a high-pressure chamber 9 for discharging compressed
refrigerant.
[0024] The six cylinder bores 7 are formed in the cylinder block 3
along its circumferential direction. The plural cylinder bores 6
are formed about a drive shaft 30 at even intervals. Pistons 31
each of which is reciprocated are accommodated in the cylinder
bores 7, respectively. The pistons 31 are coupled with a swash
plate 32 that rotates in the crank chamber 6.
[0025] In the rear housing 4, formed are the low-pressure chamber 8
and the high-pressure chamber 9 for refrigerant gas. The
low-pressure chamber 8 is connected to an outlet side of a
not-shown evaporator on a refrigeration cycle. The high-pressure
chamber 9 is connected to an inlet side of a not-shown condenser on
the refrigeration cycle. In addition, the valve plate 5 is provided
between the cylinder bores 7 and the rear housing 4.
[0026] The suction holes 10 are formed closer to the center on the
valve plate 5 with associated with the six cylinder bores 7, and
the suction holes 16 are formed closer to the outer circumference.
As explained above, the suction holes 10 is opened and closed by
the suction valves 11, and the discharge holes 11 are opened and
closed by the discharge valves 17.
[0027] At an end of the front housing 2 that is not a connection
end with the cylinder block 3, a drive mechanism 33 is rotatably
supported. In the drive mechanism 33, a pulley 34 that receives a
drive force from a not-shown engine is supported via a bearing 35,
and an end of the drive shaft 30 is rotatably supported. The pulley
34 and the drive shaft 30 are engaged and disengaged by a magnetic
clutch.
[0028] In a compression mechanism 36, the drive shaft 30 is
provides so as to penetrate the crank chamber 6. As explained
above, the drive shaft 30 is rotated by receiving the drive force
from the pulley 34.
[0029] A lug plate 37 is provided in the crank chamber 6, and
integrally fixed with the drive shaft 30. A journal 39 to which the
swash plate 32 is fixed is attached to the drive shaft 30. The lug
plate 37 and the journal 39 are coupled with each other via a link
mechanism 38. Due to a rotation of the drive shaft 30, the lug
plate 37 transfers the drive force to the journal 39 through the
link mechanism 38. The pistons 31 are coupled to a circumference of
the swash plate 32 that is fixed with the journal 39, and the
pistons 32 reciprocate due to the rotation of the drive shaft 30.
Refrigerant is compressed by the reciprocation of the pistons
31.
[0030] Next, the valve plate 5 and the suction valve disk 12 will
be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the valve plate 5 is a circular
plate, and the six discharge holes 16 are formed closer to its
outer circumference at even intervals along its circumferential
direction. These discharge holes 16 communicate the six cylinder
bores 7 in the cylinder block 3 with the high-pressure chamber 9 in
the rear housing 4. In addition, the six suction holes 10 are
formed, on an inward side of the six discharge holes 16, at even
intervals along its circumferential direction. These suction holes
10 communicate the six cylinder bores 7 in the cylinder block 3
with the low-pressure chamber 8 in the rear housing 4.
[0032] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the suction valve disk 12
is provided on one side of the valve plate 5 facing to the cylinder
block 3, and a discharge valve disk 22 is provided on another side
of the valve plate 5 facing to the rear housing 4. The suction
valve disk 12 opens the suction hole(s) 10 when suctioning
refrigerant into the cylinder bore(s) 7, and closes the suction
hole(s) 10 when compressing refrigerant in the cylinder bore(s) 7.
In addition, the discharge valve disk 22 opens the discharge
hole(s) 16 when compressing refrigerant in the cylinder bore(s) 7,
and closes the discharge hole(s) 16 when suctioning refrigerant
into the cylinder bore(s) 7.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the suction valve disk 12 is constituted
by a circular thin plate-shaped disk base 15, the suction valves 11
provided along a circumferential direction of the disk base 15 at
even intervals, and communication holes 19 that are communicated
with the discharge holes 16 on the valve plate 5. The suction valve
10 is comprised of a valve body 18 provided at an inward of a
U-shaped slit 20 and a pair of bridging portions 21 that connects
the valve body 18 with the disk base 15 between the communication
hole 19 and the slit 20.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 5, a gap 14 having a predetermined width is
formed between the suction valve disk 12 and an opening edge
portion 23 of the suction hole 10. The width S of this gap 14 is
set to 13 to 15% of a thickness t of the suction valve disk 12. The
gap 14 is formed by reducing a thickness of the opening edge
portion 23 smaller than that of a base portion 5a of the valve
plate 5. In addition, the gap 14 is set within a range of the
predetermined width 0.065 to 0.175 mm.
[0035] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a groove 13
surrounding the suction hole 10 is formed around the suction hole
10. The opening edge portion 23 is formed between the groove 13 and
the suction hole 10. A thickness of the valve plate 5 associated
with the groove 13 is smaller than the thickness of the opening
edge portion 23.
[0036] The predetermined width 0.065 to 0.175 mm of the gap 14 will
be explained with reference to a graph chart shown in FIG. 6. FIG.
6 shows measurement results under a representative condition about
noise-and-vibration performance and compressor performance with
respect to the width S of the gap 14. Its horizontal axis refers to
the width S of the gap 14, its vertical right axis refers to
noise-and-vibration performance as pulsation (.DELTA.Ps), and its
vertical left axis refers to compressor performance (Gr). A line A
indicates a criterion for noise-and-vibration performance, and a
line B indicates a criterion for compressor performance. In
addition, a line C indicates a measurement result of
noise-and-vibration performance of the suction valve 11, and a line
D indicates a measurement result of compressor performance.
[0037] A portion of the line C beyond the noise-and-vibration
performance criterion A doesn't meet the performance criterion, so
that generated noises and vibrations may become problems. In
addition, a portion of the line C below the noise-and-vibration
performance criterion A meets the performance criterion, so that
generated noises and vibrations may not become problems. Therefore,
where the line C runs above the noise-and-vibration performance
criterion A, i.e. when the width S is less than 0.065 mm, the
noise-and-vibration performance may have problems. But, when the
width S is not less than 0.065 mm, the noise-and-vibration
performance may not have problems. As a result, a minimum value for
the width S of the gap 14 is determined, so that the minimum width
S of the gap 14 between the suction valve 11 and the opening edge
portion 23 is set to 0.065 mm.
[0038] Meanwhile, a portion of the line D located beyond the
compressor performance criterion B meets the performance criterion,
so that a desired volume of refrigerant can be supplied into the
cylinder bores 7. In addition, a portion of the line D below the
compressor performance criterion B doesn't meet the performance
criterion, so that the desired volume of refrigerant cannot be
supplied into the cylinder bores 7. Therefore, where the line C
runs under the compressor performance criterion B, i.e. when the
width S is more than 0.175 mm, the compressor performance may have
problems. But, when the width S is not more than 0.175 mm, the
compressor performance may not have problems. As a result, a
maximum value for the width S of the gap 14 is determined, so that
the maximum width S of the gap 14 between the suction valve 11 and
the opening edge portion 23 is set to 0.175 mm.
[0039] Therefore, the predetermined width S of the gap 14 is set
within a range of 0.065 to 0.175 mm, the noise-and-vibration
performance and the compressor performance can be met and the
fixation of the suction valves 11 on the valve plate 5 can be
prevented.
[0040] Next, explained will be a case where the predetermined width
S of the gap 14 is presented by a ratio to a thickness t of the
valve plate 5 (13 to 15% in the present embodiment).
[0041] The range of the predetermined width S of the gap 14 is set
in the range within 0.065 to 0.175 mm as explained above. A minimum
value of the thickness t of the valve plate 5 (i.e. a minimum
thickness required for functioning as the valve plate 5) is
generally 0.3 mm. In addition, a maximum value of the thickness t
of the valve plate 5 (i.e. a maximum thickness capable of being
installed in a compressor) is considered 0.5 mm as a common sense.
Therefore, a ratio (S/t) of the minimum value 0.065 mm of the
predetermined width S to the maximum value 0.5 mm of the thickness
t is about 13%. In addition, a ratio (S/t) of the maximum value
0.175 mm of the predetermined width S to the minimum value 0.3 mm
of the thickness t is about 50%.
[0042] As a result, the width S of this gap 14 between the suction
valve disk 12 and the opening edge portion 23 of the suction hole
10 on the valve plate 5 is set to 13 to 15% of the thickness t of
the suction valve disk 12.
[0043] Next, operations of the compressor according to the present
embodiment will be explained (see FIG. 1).
[0044] In a state where the piston 31 doesn't reciprocate in the
cylinder bore 7 (i.e. a state where a suction/discharge operation
is not done: a state where the piston is positions at its TDC or
BDC or a state where the swash plate 32 is not substantively
tilted), the suction hole 10 is closed by the suction valve 11 on
the side of valve plate 5 facing to the cylinder block 3. Mean
while, the discharge hole 16 is closed by the discharge valve 17 on
the other side facing to the rear housing 4.
[0045] When the piston 31 starts its compression process in the
cylinder bore 7 from the above state, compressed high-pressure
refrigerant elastically bends the discharge valve 17 to open the
discharge hole 16, and then is discharged from the cylinder bore 7
to the high-pressure chamber 9. When the compression of refrigerant
finishes, the discharge valve 17 reverts back to its normal shape
to close the discharge hole 16. Subsequently, when the piston 31
starts its suction process in the cylinder bore 7, to-be-suctioned
low-pressure refrigerant elastically bends the bridging portions 21
of the suction valve 11 to open the suction hole 10, and then is
suctioned from the low-pressure chamber 8 to the cylinder bore
7.
[0046] According to the present embodiment, the gap 14 is provided
between the opening edge portion 23 of the suction hole 10 and the
suction valve 11 and the gap 14 is set with the range of 13 to 15%
of the thickness of the suction valve disk 12 (0.065 to 0.175 mm),
so that the fixation of the suction valve 11 on the valve plate 5
can be prevented. Therefore, noise-and-vibration performance can
improve and thereby generation of undesired noises can be
prevented. In addition, since the fixation of the suction valve 11
on the valve plate 5 can be prevented, the desired volume of
refrigerant can be surely supplied into the cylinder bores 7.
[0047] In addition, since the groove 13 is provided outside the
opening edge portion 23, the fixation of the suction valve 11 on
the valve plate 5 can be further prevented by introducing
refrigerant gas into the groove 13.
[0048] Further, since the gap 14 is formed by a press working, it
can be easily produced without using extra parts and can reduce a
production cost. In this case, since the groove 13 can become a
space for receiving an extruded volume upon forming the gap 14 by a
press working, the extruded volume can be prevented from heaving on
a valve seat surface by forming the groove 13.
[0049] Note that, the groove 13 is provided on the side of the
valve plate 5 facing to the suction valve 11 and the gap 14 is
provided at the opening edge portion 23 between the suction hole 10
and the groove 13, as explained above. Similarly, an opening edge
portion and a groove may be provided on the other side of the valve
plate 5 facing to the discharge valve 17 (see FIG. 2).
[0050] In addition, the six cylinder bores 7 are formed in the
cylinder block 3 in the present embodiment, the number of them may
not be six. The number of the cylinder bores 7 may be five, seven
or the other.
* * * * *