Compressor having a value plate and a gasket

Details Compressor having a value plate and a gasket Compressor having a value plate and a gasket

1997-06-23

2001-05-15

Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)

Pumps

Three or more cylinders arranged in parallel, radial, or...

C417S560000, C137S856000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06231315

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to compressors, and more particularly, to an improved gasket for sealing between compression and suction chambers in a compressor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical compressors include a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinder bores defined therein. A piston is accommodated in and reciprocates with respect to each cylinder bore. Front and rear housings are secured to the front and rear end faces of the cylinder block with a valve plate in between, respectively. Each housing includes a bulkhead formed therein. Each housing, the associated valve plate and the cylinder block define suction and discharge chambers. Suction and discharge valve mechanisms are formed on both sides of the valve plate. The suction and discharge mechanisms correspond to the suction and discharge chamber, respectively.
A compressor of the above structure includes, for example, a discharge valve mechanism as illustrated in
FIG. 6. A
first plate
43
and a gasket
44
are located between a valve plate
41
and a housing
42
. A plurality of discharge port
45
(only one is shown) are formed in the valve plate
41
, each corresponding to one of the cylinder bores. A plurality of discharge valve flaps
43
a
are formed on the first plate
43
. Each flap
43
a
corresponds to one of the valve port
45
. Each flap
43
a
selectively opens and closes the corresponding port
45
.
The gasket
44
includes an annular seal
44
a
(see
FIGS. 5 and 6
) the width of which is substantially the same as that of a bulkhead
42
a
of the housing
42
. The seal
44
a
is held between the distal end of the bulkhead
42
a
and the valve plate
41
thereby sealing a suction chamber
46
defined in the housing
42
from a discharge chamber
47
defined in the housing
42
.
The gasket
44
also includes retainers
44
b
integrally formed with the seal
44
a.
Each retainer
44
b
defines the opening amount of the corresponding discharge valve flap
43
a
. When highly pressurized refrigerant gas is discharge to the discharge chamber
47
, the gas causes the associated discharge valve flap
43
a
to flex to an open position, which is defined by the retainer
44
b
. The force of the refrigerant gas pushes the inner wall of the discharge chamber
47
in a direction away from the valve plate
41
. If the contact pressure of the valve plate
41
and the distal end face of the bulkhead
42
a
with the seal
44
a
in between is not great enough, the force of the gas partly separates the seal
44
a
from the valve plate
41
. This deteriorates the sealing between the suction chamber
46
and the discharge chamber
47
and causes compressed gas in the discharge chamber
47
to leak into the suction chamber
46
. The compression efficiency of the compressor in thus reduced.
Since the retainer
44
b
and the seal
44
a
are integrally formed, refrigerant gas discharged to the discharge chamber
47
presses each discharge valve flap
43
a
against the corresponding retainer
44
b
with a great force. As shown in
FIG. 7
, a force f
1
acting on the retainer
44
b
generates an angular moment M
0
the center of which is a contact point A
0
of the inner edge of the bulkhead
42
a
and the seal
44
a
of the gasket
44
. A reactive force f
0
is generated at the contact point B
0
of the valve plate
41
and the outer edge of the seal
44
a
in accordance with the angular moment M
0
. A resultant force f
1
+f
0
is generated at the contact point A
0
. The force f
1
+f
0
pushes the bulkhead
42
a
away from the valve plate
41
.
Since the width of the seal
44
a
is substantially the same an that of the bulkhead
42
a,
the center A
0
of the angular moment M
0
is relatively close to the point of application B
0
or the reactive force f
0
. The shorter the distance between the center A
0
of the moment and the reactive force f
0
, the greater the magnitude of the reactive force f
0
becomes. If the reactive force f
0
is increased, the force f
1
+f
0
, which pushes the housing
42
away from the valve plate
41
, is increased, accordingly. Thus the housing
42
becomes more likely to separate from the valve plate
41
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a compressor that improves sealing between chambers having different pressures.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a compressor. The compressor includes a cylinder block and a housing connected to the ends of the cylinder block. A first gas chamber and a second gas chamber are defined in the housing, respectively, and the chambers are divided by a bulkhead. A valve plate, which has a first port for connecting the cylinder bores with the discharge chamber, is positioned between the cylinder block and the housing. A valve is provided for selectively opening and closing the first port. A gasket is positioned between the housing and the valve plate, and the gasket is held to the bulkhead. The gasket has a bulkhead seal portion, which is between the bulkhead and the valve plate for sealing between the first gas chamber and the second gas chamber, and a protruding portion, which protrudes radially beyond the bulkhead, extending along and contacting the valve plate.
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 principals of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5186475 (1993-02-01), Kawai et al.
patent: 5379799 (1995-01-01), Kawai et al.
patent: 5466129 (1995-11-01), Fukai
patent: 5607287 (1997-03-01), Ikeda et al.

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