U.S. patent number 3,865,515 [Application Number 05/421,988] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-11 for self adjusting tangency-clearance compressor with liquid purge capability.
This patent grant is currently assigned to TRW Inc.. Invention is credited to Clifford H. Allen.
United States Patent |
3,865,515 |
Allen |
February 11, 1975 |
SELF ADJUSTING TANGENCY-CLEARANCE COMPRESSOR WITH LIQUID PURGE
CAPABILITY
Abstract
A vane-type compressor especially adapted for compressing
refrigerant in air-conditioning systems has a vane carrying rotor
mounted on fixed center bearings and surrounded by an eccentrically
positioned cylinder guiding the vane motion and confining and
controlling the compression process which is free to swing toward
the rotor and maintain a line of tangency contact therewith
providing a direct barrier between the discharge and suction sides
of the compression chamber. A spring loaded end plate pressed
against one end of the cylinder serves as a relief valve to purge
liquid such as lubricant which might collect in the compression
cavities during a shut-down period and which could otherwise create
a lock-up condition. A fixed front bearing plate or end head has a
cup-shaped housing piloted thereon surrounding the cylinder and
providing a rear bearing mounting for the rotor. The front plate
has an inlet port supplying the compression cavities between the
rotor and cylinder. The cylinder has an outlet adjacent the
tangency seal line of contact between the rotor and cylinder which
discharges to a chamber between the housing and cylinder that is
surrounded by porous fibrous strips effective to separate lubricant
entrained in the compressed refrigerant. The refrigerant is
discharged to an outlet port in the front bearing plate and the
separated lubricant collects in the bottom of the housing and is
circulated back to the bearings and vane slots of the rotor.
Inventors: |
Allen; Clifford H.
(Chesterland, OH) |
Assignee: |
TRW Inc. (Cleveland,
OH)
|
Family
ID: |
23672916 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/421,988 |
Filed: |
December 5, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/283;
418/DIG.1; 418/97; 417/310; 418/1; 418/107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04C
27/001 (20130101); F01C 21/10 (20130101); F04C
29/026 (20130101); F04C 29/12 (20130101); Y10S
418/01 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F01C
21/10 (20060101); F01C 21/00 (20060101); F04C
27/00 (20060101); F04C 29/02 (20060101); F01c
019/00 (); F01c 021/04 (); F04b 049/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;418/107,30,97,98,99
;417/283,310 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Croyle; Carlton R.
Assistant Examiner: Gluck; Richard E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hill, Gross, Simpson, Van Santen,
Steadman, Chiara & Simpson
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1. In a tangency seal fluid pressure device of the type having a
housing with a fluid inlet and outlet, a rotor rotatably mounted in
the housing and means projecting from the rotor acting on fluid
between the inlet and outlet, the improvement of a free swinging
member in said housing eccentrically enveloping said rotor, guiding
said means projecting from the rotor and pressed against the rotor
along a line of tangency between the member and rotor by pressures
between the rotor and member, said inlet and outlet communicating
with the interior of the member on opposite sides of the tangency
line.
2. A tangency seal fluid pressure apparatus which comprises a
rotor, fixed bearings supporting the rotor, a member enveloping the
rotor in eccentric relation therewith and defining expanding and
contracting cavities around the rotor, fluid inlet and outlet means
communicating with said cavities means carried by the rotor riding
on said member through said cavities, said member being sealed
relative to the rotor along a line of tangency between the minimum
volume contracting and expanding cavities, and a pivot support for
said member accommodating swinging of the member in response to
pressures in the contracting cavities to increase the sealing
pressure between the rotor and enveloping member at the line of
tangency contact therebetween.
3. A tangency seal fluid pressure device comprising a housing, a
rotor rotatably mounted in the housing, a cylinder swingable in the
housing and surrounding the rotor in eccentric spaced relation
therewith, members carried by the rotor riding on the inner wall of
said cylinder dividing the space between the rotor and cylinder
into expanding fluid receiving cavities and contracting fluid
expelling cavities, an inlet port in the housing communicating with
the expanding cavities, a pivot in the housing for said cylinder,
said pivot being positioned in the housing relative to the
contracting cavities so that pressure therein will swing the
cylinder into sealing contact with the rotor along the line of
tangency separating the expanding and contracting cavities, said
cylinder having a discharge opening therethrough immediately
upstream from the tangency line of contact with the rotor for
discharging the fluid into the housing around the cylinder, and
said housing having an outlet port receiving said fluid.
4. A tangency seal rotary vane compressor comprising a housing
having an inlet and an outlet, front and rear fixed bearing
supports in said housing, bearing in said supports, a shaft
rotatably carried by said bearings, a rotor secured on said shaft
for corrotation, said rotor having vane slots, vanes slidable in
said slots, a cylinder swingable in said housing surrounding said
rotor and receiving the ends of the vanes in riding contact
therewith, a pivot support for said cylinder in said housing
accommodating swinging of the cylinder in response to fluid
pressure between the rotor and cylinder for swinging the cylinder
into a tangency line contact with the rotor, said cylinder having
outlet openings therethrough upstream from said tangency line
contact with the rotor, oil separating fibrous material between the
housing and cylinder defining with the housing and cylinder a first
chamber receiving compressed fluid from said outlet openings, said
housing and cylinder defining a second chamber receiving oil-freed
fluid and separated oil passed through the fibrous material from
said first chamber, said outlet discharging the oil-freed
compressed fluid from said second chamber, an oil collection sump
between the housing and cylinder collecting oil in the second
chamber, means venting oil from said sump to the bearings, vanes
and interior of the cylinder, a plate in the housing spring-pressed
against an end of the cylinder and adapted to be unseated from the
cylinder by liquid compressed between the rotor and cylinder for
purging the liquid to the sump, and said inlet communicating with
the interior of the cylinder dowstream from the tangency line
contact between the rotor and cylinder.
5. A self-oil purging rotary vane compressor adapted for
compressing refrigerant in automotive air-conditioning systems
which comprises an end head having an inlet, an outlet, and a
bearing supporting hub, a cup-shaped housing piloted on said end
head having a bearing supporting hub aligned with the hub of the
end head, bearings in the hubs of the end head and housing, a shaft
rotatably mounted in said bearings, a vane carrying rotor mounted
on said shaft between said bearings, a cylinder in said housing
surrounding said rotor in eccentric relation and having one end
bottomed on said end head, a plate slidably piloted on the hub of
said housing spring-pressed against the other end of said cylinder,
a pivot shoe carried by said housing cooperating with the outer
periphery of said cylinder accommodating swinging of the cylinder
in the housing in response to pressures developed between the rotor
and cylinder to load the cylinder against the rotor along a line of
tangency, said cylinder having openings therethrough joining the
interior of the cylinder upstream from the tangency line of contact
with the rotor to discharge fluid to the outlet, fibrous means in
the path of the fluid between the openings in the cylinder and the
outlet for separating oil from the fluid, said housing providing an
oil collection sump in the bottom thereof receiving oil separated
from the fluid, means in said end head venting oil from the sump
back to the bearings, vanes, and interior of the cylinder, said
plate adapted to be unseated from the cylinder to vent spaces
between the rotor and cylinder to said sump to purge oil from the
spaces, and said inlet communicating with the interior of the
cylinder.
6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the pivot support for the
member is a shoe cooperating with the outer periphery of the
member.
7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a relief valve is provided to
purge liquid from the cavities between the rotor and member
enveloping the rotor upon development of excess pressures in the
cavities.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the relief valve is a plate
spring-pressed against an end of the member enveloping the
rotor.
9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the fixed bearings supporting
the rotor are carried by an end head and a cup-shaped housing
piloted on the end head and cooperating with the end head to define
an annular chamber surrounding the member receiving compressed
fluid from the member.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein fibrous strips are provided in
the annular chamber between the member and housing to separate oil
from the compressed fluid received in the chamber.
11. The device of claim 3 including a shoe carried by the housing
cooperating with the cylinder to form the pivot support
therefor.
12. The device of claim 3 including a reed valve on the cylinder
controlling flow of fluid from the expelling cavities to the
housing and a guard plate overlying the reed valve cooperating with
a housing carried shoe to form the pivot for the cylinder.
13. The device of claim 3 including a liquid purge valve
cooperating with the cylinder to relieve liquid from the cavities
to the housing.
14. The apparatus of claim 2 including a helper spring acting on
the member enveloping the rotor to rock the member about the pivot
support for maintaining a minimum pressure at the line of tangency
between the rotor and member.
15. The device of claim 3 wherein the pivot is positioned upstream
from the line of tangency and a helper spring is positioned
downstream from said line of tangency for urging the cylinder to
rock about its pivot to maintain a minimum sealing load at the line
of tangency between the rotor and cylinder.
16. The device of claim 3 wherein the members carried by the rotor
riding on the inner wall of the cylinder are sliding vanes.
17. The device of claim 3 having an annular chamber between the
housing and the cylinder with fibrous strips isolating a
sub-chamber receiving fluid from the discharge opening of the
cylinder effective to separate liquid entrained with the compressed
fluid.
18. The device of claim 17 wherein the annular chamber has a
collection sump for the separated liquid.
19. The device of claim 3 including a spring loaded plate engaging
one end of the cylinder and adapted to be deflected from said one
end to provide a relief passage connecting the cavities between the
rotor and cylinder with the interior of the housing.
20. The compressor of claim 4 wherein the rotor has four radial
vanes and springs urging said vanes outwardly from said slots to
engage the cylinder.
21. The compressor of claim 4 wherein the housing includes an end
bearing plate with the inlet and outlet and a cup-shaped housing
member piloted on the bearing plate providing the rear bearing
support.
22. The compressor of claim 4 wherein the fibrous material
separating the first and second chambers are strips on nonmetallic
high-temperature resisting fibers.
23. The compressor of claim 4 wherein the cylinder has one end
bottomed against an end of the housing and a spring loaded relief
plate is pressed against the other end of the cylinder and wherein
the first and second chambers are separated by two radial strips of
fibrous material between the cylinder and periphery of the housing
and a third strip of fibrous material between the plate and back
wall of the housing.
24. The compressor of claim 4 wherein the pivot support for the
cylinder includes a rigid plate bolted to the periphery of the
cylinder and having a recess midway between the ends of the
cylinder and a shoe carried by the housing seats in said
recess.
25. The compressor of claim 4 including bleeder holes through the
cylinder immediately adjacent the upstream side of the tangency
line contact with the rotor to vent liquid to the first
chamber.
26. The method of sealing a rotor and an eccentric cylinder
enveloping the rotor along a tangency line therebetween in a
tangency seal fluid pressure device which comprises rocking the
cylinder about a pivot upstream from the tangency line against the
rotor with pressure developed by the device between the rotor and
cylinder.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of tangency sealed vane-type
compressors and particularly deals with a compressor having a free
swinging cylinder contacting the rotor along a line of tangency
between the high pressure and low pressure compressor cavities with
a sealing force established by the pressures in the cavities and
having wick means separating liquid from compressed gases together
with relief means preventing liquid lock-up of the rotor.
2. Prior Art
The volumetric efficiency of vane-type compressors is dependent
upon close clearances between the internal components to minimize
leakage between high pressure and low pressure cavities and a
particular critical leakage path is across the line of contact
between the rotor and cylinder commonly referred to as the line of
tangency. Since this line is a direct barrier between the discharge
and suction pressures of the compressor, any leakage across the
line involves a loss of compression work done on the leakage
volume. In spite of the best efforts in assembling prior art
compressors to set the tangency line clearance as close to zero as
possible, these clearances tend to get larger in actual service due
to operating factors such as differential thermal expansion,
pressure loading on the rotor and cylinder tending to drive them
apart, hydrodynamic lubricating oil forces and wear and bearing
clearances.
One of the disadvantages of the use of tangency seals to control
tangency line leakage is inherent in the necessity for said seals
to maintain sealing contact with the surface of the rotor while
simultaneously permitting the uninhibited movements of the vanes
past the tangency line. Such a seal is difficult to design and
construct, is subject to fatigue and to the likelihood of
mechanical interference with the vane movement.
In my prior U. S. Pat. No. 3,729,277 issued Apr. 24, 1973, there is
disclosed and claimed a tangency sealed vane compressor which
avoided many of the deficiencies of the earlier prior art. In this
patented compressor, the cylindrical compression chamber defining
member was pivoted so that upon assembly it could be swung into a
tangency seal line of contact with the rotor and then be locked in
this sealing position. In this construction the rotor and cylinder
components together with a rear bearing plate were stacked on the
front bearing plate or main end head of the compressor and the
stacked assembly was mounted to this end head by draw bolts which
did not provide a positive alignment of the rotor shaft bearings
nor could it accommodate relief of liquid which might collect in
the compression cavities during periods of non-use and might tend
to lock up the rotor especially on rapid starts. Further, any wear
at the initially created tangency line of contact between the rotor
was not automatically taken up nor was the sealing load dependent
upon the pressures in the pressure cavities. In addition, pivoting
of the cylinder on the pins extended into the end faces of the
cylinder required accurate centering of holes for the pins.
SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION
According to this invention the above-mentioned deficiencies of the
prior art are eliminated by piloting the rear bearing support for
the rotor shaft on the front main bearing plate or end head to
insure accurate alignment of the front and rear shaft bearings, by
pivoting the cylinder on its outer periphery midway between its end
faces, by allowing the cylinder to swing on its pivot during
operation of the compressor so that the tangency seal load will be
controlled by the pressures in the high-pressure cavities of the
compressor and by providing a retractable end plate for the rotor
and cylinder which will release liquid from the compressor cavities
to prevent lock-up upon starting. In addition, the invention
provides wick means for separating lubricant which might be
entrained with compressed refrigerant enroute to the outlet port.
The separated lubricant is collected in a sump provided in the
bottom of the compressor housing and is recirculated back to the
bearings and vane slots to lubricate the bearings and vanes.
The pivot for the cylinder is a shoe carried by the housing. A
spring also carried by the housing urges the cylinder to rotate
about its pivot into contact with the rotor to maintain a minimum
load tangency seal which, of course, is additionally loaded by the
pressures in the compression cavities. This arrangement eliminates
the heretofore required accurate positioning of pivot pins and
prevents binding of the swinging of the cylinder.
The cylinder is surrounded in spaced relation by a cup-shaped
housing piloted on the end head or front bearing plate of the
compressor and has outlet holes in the top thereof immediately
ahead of the tangency line of contact with the rotor which
discharge the compressed refrigerant into a localized compartment
between the cylinder and housing bounded by fibrous strips. The
refrigerant passes through these strips to an outlet port in the
front bearing plate or main end head of the compressor. Any
lubricant entrapped with the compressed refrigerant is wicked from
the refrigerant by the fibrous strip material and accumulates to
drip down to a collection sump in the bottom of the housing. A
passageway in the end head conveys the collected lubricant from the
sump through the shaft bearings and center of the rotor for
lubricating the bearings and the vanes.
While this invention is specifically described as embodied in a
vane-type refrigerant compressor especially adapted for
air-conditioning systems, it should be understood that the
principles of this invention are applicable to any tangency
seal-type of pump or compressor and that the rotor instead of
carrying vanes could carry slippers, rollers or the like finger
members riding on the cylinder to create the isolated cavities
between the eccentrically related outer periphery of the rotor and
inner periphery of the cylinder. Therefore, the term, "vane-type
compressors," as used herein will serve to encompass pumps, motors,
and compressors having eccentrically related rotors and
encompassing chamber defining members on which fingers projecting
from the rotor will ride and wherein the rotor has a tangency seal
relationship with the encompassing member between the high pressure
and low pressure sides of the device.
It is then an object of this invention to enhance the volumetric
efficiency of tangency seal-type rotary pumps, motors and
compressors by providing a free swinging rotor housing maintaining
the tangency seal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a self-liquid purging
gas or vapor compressor.
Another object of the invention is to provide a vapor or gas
compressor separating liquid from the compressed gas or vapor and
utilizing the liquid to lubricate the compressor parts.
Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary vane
compressor with a free swinging rotor encompassing cylinder which
guides the vanes and establishes a tangency seal between the high
and low pressure sides of the compressor at a sealing load created
by the pressures in the compressor cavities.
Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary vane
compressor with a swinging rotor encompassing cylinder on which the
vanes ride which is spring-loaded into sealed contact with the
rotor along a line of tangency between the high pressure and low
pressure compressor cavities.
A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary vane
compressor with a housing cylinder pivoted on an external shoe and
swung into a tangency sealing line of contact with the rotor under
the influence of pressures in the compressor cavities between the
rotor and cylinder.
A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary vane
compressor with a rotor mounted on fixed center bearings, a
cylinder surrounding the rotor in eccentric relation, a housing
surrounding the cylinder in spaced relation and a pivot shoe
carried by the housing allowing the cylinder to swing for
establishing and maintaining a tangency seal line of contact with
the rotor between the high pressure and low pressure sides of the
compressor.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerant
compressor especially suited for air-conditioning systems having a
front bearing carrying end head, a bearing carrying cup housing
piloted on the end head, a vane carrying rotor mounted on a shaft
supported in bearings carried by the end head and cup housing, a
cylinder in the housing surrounding the rotor and guiding the rotor
vanes, a pivot shoe carried by the housing cooperating with the
periphery of the cylinder, a spring swinging the cylinder about the
pivot shoe into sealed contact with the rotor, a spring loaded end
plate in the housing pressed against an end face of the cylinder
and adapted to be deflected therefrom and means between the housing
and cylinder for separating lubricant from refrigerant compressed
by the rotor and vane.
Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent to
those skilled in this art from the following detailed description
of the annexed sheets of drawings which by way of a preferred
example illustrate one embodiment of the invention.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front end elevational view of a rotary vane compressor
of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, cross sectional view taken along the line
II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along the line
III--III of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a transverse, cross sectional view taken along the line
IV--IV of FIG. 4;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view along the line V--V of FIG.
6;
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view along the line VI--VI of FIG.
5;
FIG. 7 is a transverse, cross sectional view along the line
VII--VII of FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 3 showing
the forces for swinging the cylinder into tangency sealed relation
with the rotor;
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with the internal parts
omitted to show the back wall of the cup-shaped housing; and
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view along the line X--X of FIG.
1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the compressor 10 has a front bearing
plate or main end head 11, a cup-shaped housing 12 with a
cylindrical mouth 13 seated on a cylindrical pilot portion 14 of
the end head 11 and bottomed against an end shoulder 15 of the end
head. An O-ring seal 16 is confined between the mouth 13, the pilot
14 and the end face 15. The cup housing 12 has internally threaded
boss portions 17 spaced around its periphery as shown in FIGS. 2
and 3 opening to the shoulder 15 of the end head 11 and bolts 18
having heads bottomed on the outer face of the end head 11 are
threaded into these bosses to unite the end head 11 and cup 12 in
integral, fixed, sealed relationship.
The end head 11 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 has an inlet port 19
and an outlet port 20. A relief valve 21 communicates with the port
passageway 20 to relieve excess pressures which might damage the
system supplied by the compressor. The end head also has legs 22
and bosses 22a to mount the compressor in a refrigerant system such
as an automobile air-conditioning system assembly.
A hub 23 at the center of the end head 11, as shown in FIG. 2, has
a cylindrical bore 24 therethrough with an enlarged counterbore 25
at the inner end thereof. This counterbore mounts a ball bearing
assembly 26 which is held against the shoulder 27 between the
counterbore 25 and bore 24 by a snap ring 28.
A shaft seal assembly 29 is mounted in the bore 24 including a
shaft mounted spring loaded face ring part 29a and a hub mounted
fixed mating ring part 29b held in the bore 24 by a snap retaining
ring 30.
A rotor shaft 31 projects through the hub 23 of the end head 11
into a cylindrical hub 32 projecting from the rear end 33 of the
cup-shaped housing 12 toward the end head 11. Roller or needle
bearings 34 support this end of the shaft 31 in the hub 32 of the
housing 12.
The shaft 31 has retainer rings 35 projecting from grooves therein
into abutting relation with both end faces of the inner race ring
of the ball bearing assembly 26, thereby holding the shaft against
axial shifting relative to the hubs 23 and 32.
It will therefore be understood that the shaft 31 is rotatably
mounted on bearing supports provided by the end head 11 and the
housing 12 which is accurately piloted on this end head so that
true alignment of the bearing supports is established and
maintained.
The rotor 36 for the compressor 10 is mounted on the rotor shaft 31
for corrotation therewith. The rotor 36 has four radial slots 37 in
equally spaced circumferential relation extending inwardly from
pockets 38 in the periphery of the rotor as shown in FIG. 3 for a
depth to accommodate the height of vanes 39 slidably mounted
therein when shoes 40 on the ends of the vanes are retracted into
the pockets. Two pairs of pins 41 and 42 extend through holes
through the shaft and inner portion of the rotor into the slots 37
and receive coil springs 43 therearound acting on the inner ends of
the vanes 39 to urge them outwardly from the bottoms of the slots.
Thus, one pair of pins 41 with the springs 43 therearound act on
one pair of diametrically opposite vanes 39 while the other pair of
pins 42 and their springs 43, offset from the pins 41, act on the
other pair of diametrically opposite vanes 39.
A cylinder 44 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is mounted in the housing
12 and envelops the rotor 36. This cylinder has an inner peripheral
wall 45 eccentrically related to the periphery 46 of the rotor 36
and spaced therefrom except at a single line of contact 47 at the
point of tangency between the cylinder and rotor to establish a
tangency seal between the low and high pressure sides of the
compressor. The vanes 39 projecting from the rotor to have their
slippers or pivot ends 40 riding on the inner wall 45 of the
cylinder 44 divide the space between the wall 45 of the cylinder 44
and the periphery 46 of the rotor 36 into cavities receiving
refrigerant from the inlet port 19 and discharging compressed
refrigerant to the outlet port 20 as will be more fully hereinafter
explained.
The cylinder 44 is pivoted in the housing 12 on a shoe 48 carried
by a rib 49 of the housing 12 which projects inwardly from the
periphery of the housing in circumferentially spaced relation
upstream from the tangency seal line 47. The shoe 48 has a nose 48a
seated in a groove or recess 50 of a pivot plate 51 which is bolted
to a flat peripheral portion 52 of the cylinder 44 by means of
bolts 53. The rib 49 carrying the shoe 48 and the recess 50
receiving the nose 48a of the shoe must be located within
relatively broad limits at a point on the circumference of the
cylinder 44 where the resultant couple due to pressures in the
cylinder tends to pivot the cylinder in a direction tending to
eliminate clearance at the line of tangency between the cylinder
and rotor 36. However, in manufacture, tolerances relative to
locations of the pivot are not critical.
A reed valve 54 composed of a thin metal plate is clamped under the
plate 51 by the bolts 53 and as shown in FIG. 3 the plate 51 is
bowed outwardly from the flat surface 52 of the cylinder 44 at its
unbolted or free end so that the reed valve 54 may be deflected
outwardly from its seat on this flat area 52.
The cylinder 44 has a row of outlet ports 55 therethrough
underlying the free end of the reed valve 54 and positioned just
upstream or ahead of the tangency seal line 47 of the cylinder 44
with the rotor 36. The compressed refrigerant is discharged through
these ports 55 and raises the reed valve 54 to flow into a
localized chamber 56a separated from the main annular space 56
between the housing 12 and cylinder 44 by fibrous side strips 57
extending from the end head 11 to the back wall 33 of the housing
12. The inner ends of these strips 57 are seated in grooves 58 and
the outer ends of these strips fit between ribs 59 on the inner
periphery of the housing 12 as shown in FIG. 3. The rear end of
this localized chamber 56a is bounded by a third fibrous strip 60
which, as shown in FIG. 2, spans the gap between the back wall 33
of the housing 12 and an end plate 61 which is bottomed on the end
face of the cylinder 44 to define with the cylinder and end head
11, the working chamber of the compressor. The plate 61 is
pivotally seated on the hub 32 of the end wall 33 of the housing 12
and an o-ring seal 62 seals the inner periphery of the plate to the
hub but accommodates tilting and sliding of the plate on the
hub.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the plate 61 is spring pressed against
the end of the cylinder 44 by a plurality of coil springs 63 seated
in pockets defined by ribs 64 projecting from the end wall 33 of
the housing 12. The strip 60 is bent over one of these
pocket-defining ribs 64 as shown in FIG. 9 and has its end legs
seated between opposed ribs 65. The strip 60 is sufficiently
resilient so that the plate 61 may tilt or slide away from the
cylinder 44 to provide its relief function as more fully
hereinafter described.
To facilitate opening of the reed valve 54 by the compressed
refrigerant from the ports 55, the valve plate 54, as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6, has a U-shaped slot 66 isolating a tongue 69 which
underlies the embossment forming the groove 50 in the pivot plate
51 that receives the nose 48a of the shoe 48. In this manner, the
free end of the reed valve 54 can flex without interference from
the embossed portion of the overlying plate.
The compressed refrigerant in the localized chamber 56a flows
through the strips 57 and 60 into the main space or chamber 56
where it is effective to cooperate with the springs 63 in holding
the plate 61 against the cylinder 44. The strips are composed of a
fibrous material which will coalesce or wick out the lubricant
entrained in the compressed refrigerant. Such materials are
optically opaque, synthetic fibers and are known in the trade as
synthetic felt composed of nylon, "Dacron" (trademark) and the
like. The felt is porous and is wet by the oil lubricant thereby
acting as a demister. The material must be capable of withstanding
high temperatures in the order of 400.degree.F.
To prevent liquid, such as oil, in the system from building up to
form a liquid wedge tending to open up the tangency seal 47, the
cylinder 44 has a plurality of bleeder holes 55a therethrough
downstream from the port holes 55 and just ahead of the tangency
seal line as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 8. These bleeder holes vent
to the chamber 56a any oil trapped at the tangency line.
The compressed refrigerant free of lubricant in the chamber 56
flows to the outlet port 20 in the end 11 from which it is
discharged.
The wicked-out oil drips from the fibrous strips 57 and 60 to the
bottom of the housing 12 where, as shown in FIG. 2, it collects in
a pond P which is exposed to the pressure of the compressed
refrigerant in the chamber 56. The end head 11 is drilled to
provide a passageway 68 joining the pond P with the hub 23 behind
the seal ring 29b so that oil backed by pressure in the chamber 56
flows from the pond into the hub to lubricate the shaft seal 29 and
the bearing 26. From the bearing 26 the pressured oil flows through
the vane slots 37 of the rotor to lubricate the vanes 39 and
cylinder wall 45 and also flows into the hub 32 to lubricate the
rear bearing 34. Thus the oil is returned to the cavities between
the rotor and cylinder, and the moving parts of the compressor are
amply lubricated from oil that is separated from the compressed
refrigerant and returned to the refrigerant being compressed.
In the event the compression cavities between the rotor and
cylinder become flooded with oil during periods of non-use of the
compressor, lock-up of the rotor during rapid start-ups by this oil
is prevented because liquid in the compressor cavities between the
rotor and cylinder wall, when pumped by the vanes 39, will unseat
the plate 61 from the end face of the cylinder allowing this liquid
to escape to the pond P. The spring load on the plate 60 is
calibrated so that the plate will unseat at pressures in the
compression cavities which are below pressures that might damage
the vanes and other components of the compressor.
In order to maintain a minimum sealing load at the tangency seal
line 47, a helper spring 69 shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 is provided to
rock the cylinder 44 about the pivot nose 48a so as to place a
minimum load at the tangency seal line 47. The spring 69 is in the
form of a finger or leaf seated in a recess 70 in the outer face of
the cylinder 44 and bottomed on a rib 71 of the housing 12. As
shown in FIG. 7, the spring 69 extends from the end plate 61 to the
mouth 13 of the housing 12. The spring is positioned in spaced
relation downstream from the tangency seal line 47 and since the
pivot nose 49 is upstream from this tangency seal line 47, the
spring will rock the cylinder 44 into contact with the rotor 36 at
the tangency line 47.
As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerant to be compressed enters the
inlet port 19 and in operation of the compressor a suction stop
valve 72 in the inlet port is unseated from its seat 73 to allow
the refrigerant to flow through a screen 74 to an inlet port 75 on
the inner face of the end head 11. This port 75 feeds the expanding
cavities C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 between the rotor 36 and cylinder 44
thereby drawing the refrigerant into the suction side of the
compressor. The valve 72 will not open unless the pressure in the
cavities C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 is less than the pressure of the
refrigerant being fed to the compressor. Thus, the valve is
effective to close for maintaining a negative pressure in the
expanding cavities C.sub.1 and C.sub.2.
The refrigerant is then compressed in the contracting cavities
C.sub.3 and C.sub.4 to be discharged through the port holes 55
unseating the reed valve 54 and enters the fibrous strip bounded
chamber 56a. As explained above, the compressed refrigerant is then
freed of its oil as it passes through the fibrous strips 57 and 60
into the main chamber 56 and is then discharged through the port 20
in the end head 11.
As illustrated in FIG. 8, the pressures designated by the arrows in
the contracting cavities C.sub.3 and C.sub.4 act on the cylinder 44
causing it to swing about the pivot nose 48a in the direction shown
by the arrow A. This swinging of the cylinder 44 will press it
against the rotor 36 at the tangency seal line 47, thereby
increasing the seal load as the pressures in the contracting
cavities C.sub.3 and C.sub.4 increase. Since the helper spring 69
only maintains a very light sealing load at the tangency seal line
47 and since the pressure developed by the operating compressor
increases this load as needed to maintain a seal between the inlet
and outlet sides of the compressor, operating friction of the
compressor is minimized without loss of sealing capacity.
From the above descriptions it should, therefore, be understood
that this invention provides a tangency seal rotary fluid pressure
apparatus such as a pump, a motor or a compressor which develops
its own tangency seal pressure in operation, purges itself of
liquid that might cause a lock-up on rapid starting, separates
liquid from compressed vapor or gas or lubricates the bearings and
other components thereof with the separated liquid. The preferred
embodiment of the invention is a rotary sliding vane refrigerant
compressor for automotive air-conditioning systems which has a free
swinging eccentric cylinder guiding the vanes and loaded against
the vane carrying rotor at a line of tangency by pressure of the
refrigerant being compressed.
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