Refrigeration – Refrigeration producer – Compressor-condenser-evaporator circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2001-11-27
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Refrigeration
Refrigeration producer
Compressor-condenser-evaporator circuit
C062S298000, C184S006160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321563
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor-driven compressor formed integrally with a compression portion and a motor for compressing refrigerant, and, more specifically, relates to a motor-driven compressor that is suitable for use in an air conditioner for vehicles.
2. Description of Prior Art
A motor-driven compressor is driven by a power supply, for example, an external power source such as a battery. A known motor-driven compressor is constructed as depicted in FIG.
5
. In
FIG. 5
, motor-driven compressor
50
includes discharge housing
51
, intermediate housing
52
, and suction housing
53
. Fixed scroll member
60
and orbital scroll member
70
are provided in discharge housing
51
. Rotation prevention mechanism
68
prevents the rotation of orbital scroll member
70
. These members and the mechanism constitute a refrigerant compression portion
75
, that is formed as a scroll type compressor mechanism.
Drive shaft
55
is disposed in intermediate housing
52
and suction housing
53
. Rotor
83
is provided around drive shaft
55
, and stator
81
equipped with coil
82
is provided around rotor
83
.Stator
81
is fixed on the inner surfaces of intermediate housing
52
and suction housing
53
. Stator
81
, coil
82
and rotor
83
form a motor
80
. Refrigerant suction port
76
is provided at the end portion of suction housing
53
.
Drive shaft
55
has a small diameter portion
55
a
at one end portion, and a large diameter portion
55
b
at the other end portion. Small diameter portion
55
a
is rotatably supported by suction housing
53
via bearing
56
. Large diameter portion
55
b
is rotatably supported by intermediate housing
52
via bearing
57
. Eccentric pin
55
c
projects from the end surface of large diameter portion
55
b
in a direction along the axis of drive shaft
55
. Eccentric pin
55
c
is inserted into eccentric bush
58
, which is rotatably supported on the back surface side of orbital scroll member
70
via bearing
59
.
In motor-driven compressor
50
, drive shaft
55
is rotated by the rotation of motor
80
. Orbital scroll member
70
is driven orbitally via the operation of the mechanism formed by eccentric pin
55
c
and eccentric bush
58
. Refrigerant sucked through suction port
76
is introduced into fluid pockets, that are formed between spiral elements
62
and
72
of fixed scroll member
60
and orbital scroll member
70
, from suction chamber
69
through the interior of suction housing
53
and intermediate housing
52
. The refrigerant introduced into the fluid pockets is compressed by operation of the scroll type compressor. The compressed refrigerant is discharged from discharge port
67
to the outside through discharge hole
65
and discharge chamber
66
.
In such a motor-driven compressor
50
, motor-driven compressor
50
is separated from a drive circuit (not shown) for controlling the driving of motor
80
. Motor
80
of motor-driven compressor
50
and the drive circuit are connected by lead wires (not shown). Therefore, the size of the system including motor-driven compressor
50
and the drive circuit may increase. Further, the system requires relatively long lead wires. Moreover, assembly of the system may take a long time.
Moreover, the drive circuit generally includes an inverter for converting power supplied from a power source into a suitable current for motor
80
. Such an inverter generally comprises a plurality of switching elements. The switching elements may radiate a large amount of heat caused by, for example, electrical loss in the switching elements. Therefore, an air-cooled or water-cooled type inverter has been used for a known motor-driven compressor. In the air-cooled type inverter, a radiator or a fan is required. In the water-cooled type inverter, a water cooling radiator and water circulating pipes are required. Such equipment causes an increase in the cost of manufacturing the system.
Further, because generally a high-frequency, chopped current from the inverter is supplied to motor
80
, electromagnetic waves are radiated from the long wires connecting motor
80
and the drive circuit. This may cause electromagnetic noise in a radio or other electronic equipment mounted on the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a motor-driven compressor, which may be small and made inexpensively, and, in which the time for its assembly may be reduced, because equipment for cooling an inverter of a drive circuit, such as a radiator, a fan and/or water pipes, is not required.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a motor-driven compressor, which may not require long lead wires, thereby further reducing the cost of manufacturing the motor-driven compressor and further facilitating its assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a motor-driven compressor, which may reduce the electromagnetic radiation from an inverter of a drive circuit, thereby preventing electronic noise in electronic equipment mounted on the vehicle.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, a motor-driven compressor according to the present invention is herein provided. The motor-driven compressor is formed integrally with a compression portion and a motor for compressing refrigerant. The motor-driven compressor comprises a drive circuit for controlling the driving of the motor. The drive circuit is incorporated into a refrigerant suction side portion of the motor-driven compressor.
The motor-driven compressor may further comprise a suction housing having a refrigerant suction port. The drive circuit may be incorporated into the suction housing. Further, the motor-driven compressor may comprise a lid for closing the suction housing in which the drive circuit is incorporated. The lid is preferably formed from a material capable of shielding electromagnetic radiation.
The motor-driven compressor may further comprise a capacitor provided between the drive circuit and an external power source, such as a battery. In this case, the capacitor may also be incorporated into the refrigerant suction side portion, such as the suction housing.
The drive circuit may have an inverter for converting D.C. current supplied from an external power source into A.C. current supplied to said motor. The output terminals of the inverter may be connected directly to output terminals of the drive circuit.
The compression portion may be formed as a scroll type compressor mechanism.
In the motor-driven compressor according to the present invention, because the drive circuit is incorporated directly into a refrigerant suction side portion of the motor-driven compressor, it is not necessary to make them as separate members. Because the refrigerant suction side portion is cooled by refrigerant supplied therethrough, it may sufficiently cool the drive circuit without providing particular cooling devices such as a radiator, a fan or water pipes. Therefore, the size of the motor-driven compressor may be reduced and thus the size of the total system may also be reduced. Moreover, the cost of manufacturing the motor-driven compressor system may be reduced. Further, the assembly thereof may be facilitated, because the number of parts in the system may be greatly reduced.
Moreover, because long lead wires are unnecessary, the cost of manufacturing the system of the present invention may be further reduced, and assembly of the system of the present invention may be further facilitated.
Further, because long lead wires are not required for connecting the motor and the drive circuit within the refrigerant suction side portion, electromagnetic radiation leaked to the outside is reduced. Therefore, electronic noise, caused by electromagnetic radiation, in electronic equipment mounted on the vehicle may be prevented. When the drive circuit incorporated into the refrigerant suction side portion is covered with the lid, which is preferably made from a material capable of shielding electromagnetic radiation, electronic no
Higashiyama Akiyoshi
Ikeda Hideo
Kawabata Toshimasa
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Dahbour Fadi H.
Sanden Corporation
Walberg Teresa
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