Pumps – Condition responsive control of drive transmission or pump... – Adjustable cam or linkage
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-17
2001-01-16
Kamen, Noah P. (Department: 3745)
Pumps
Condition responsive control of drive transmission or pump...
Adjustable cam or linkage
C092S154000, C184S006170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174140
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to compressors that may be applied to, for example, automotive air-conditioning systems. More particularly, the present invention pertains to mechanisms for separating and recovering lubricating oil from refrigerant gas in compressors.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-240158 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-35485 describe compressors that incorporate oil recovery devices. Each of these compressors has a housing, which houses a discharge chamber, a crank chamber, and cylinder bores. A rotatable drive shaft is supported in the housing such that it extends through the crank chamber. A swash plate is supported in the crank chamber and supported by the drive shaft such that it rotates integrally with the drive shaft. A piston is accommodated in each cylinder bore and coupled to the swash plate. When the drive shaft is rotated by an external drive source, such as an automotive engine, the swash plate converts the rotation of the drive shaft to linear reciprocation of each piston in the associated cylinder bore. The reciprocation of each piston draws refrigerant gas into the cylinder bore, compresses the gas, and discharges the gas into the discharge chamber.
A typical compressor has a muffler located downstream of the discharge chamber. The muffler has a gas outlet that is connected with an external refrigerant circuit. Accordingly, the refrigerant gas in the discharge chamber is sent to the external refrigerant circuit by way of the muffler. The muffler attenuates the pressure pulsation of the refrigerant gas. This reduces vibrations and noise, which result from pressure pulsation of the refrigerant gas.
Atomized lubricating oil is suspended in the refrigerant gas to lubricate moving parts in the compressor as the refrigerant gas flows through the compressor. However, the lubricating oil that travels through the compressor is sent to the external refrigerant circuit together with the refrigerant gas. If a large amount of lubricating oil is discharged from the compressor, the amount of lubricating oil in the compressor decreases. This may lead to insufficient lubrication. Accordingly, the mufflers of the compressors described in the above publications incorporate a device for separating and recovering the lubricating oil from the refrigerant gas. The oil recovery device includes an oil separating chamber, which is arranged in the muffler, and a cylindrical tube, which is secured to the gas outlet such that the tube projects into the oil separating compartment. Further, a recovery passage connects the oil separating chamber to the crank chamber.
As the refrigerant gas flows from the muffler toward the external refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant gas swirls about the tube in the oil separating chamber. The refrigerant gas then enters the tube and flows through the gas outlet into the external refrigerant circuit. Centrifugal force acts on the refrigerant gas swirling about the tube. The centrifugal force separates the lubricating oil from the refrigerant gas. The separated lubricating oil is then sent to the crank chamber through the recovery passage. This maintains satisfactory lubrication in the compressor.
The location of the gas outlet is normally changed in accordance with the type of vehicle in which the compressor is installed. The layout of various equipment in the engine compartment differs in each type of vehicle. Thus, the arrangement of the compressor and the external refrigerant circuit depends on the spatial limitations resulting from the layout of the engine compartment. There are cases in which the location of the gas outlet on the compressor must be changed because of the engine compartment layout. As a result, the structure of the oil recovery device must also be changed. Such changes decrease production efficiency and increases costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a compressor having an oil recovery device that permits the location of the gas outlet to be easily changed without making changes to the oil recovery device.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a compressor for compressing gas that contains atomized oil. The compressor includes a housing, a gas compression mechanism located within the housing, and a discharge chamber into which the gas compressed by the compression mechanism is discharged. A muffler base is arranged on the housing. A muffler cover is attached to the muffler base such that a muffler is enclosed by the muffler base and the muffler cover. A partition separates the muffler into a first muffler chamber and a second muffler chamber. The first muffler chamber is defined by the muffler base and the partition. The second muffler chamber is defined by the muffler cover and the partition. The partition has an opening for connecting the first muffler chamber with the second muffler chamber. The muffler cover has a gas outlet connected with the second muffler chamber. A discharge passage connects the discharge chamber to the first muffler chamber. Compressed gas is sent out of the compressor by way of the discharge chamber, the discharge passage, the first muffler chamber, the partition opening, the second muffler chamber, and the gas outlet. Pressure pulsation of the compressed gas is attenuated by the first and second muffler chambers. The atomized oil is separated from the compressed gas when passing through the first muffler chamber. A recovery passage is connected to the first muffler chamber to drain the separated oil in the first muffler chamber to portions of the compressor requiring lubrication.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5518374 (1996-05-01), Ota et al.
patent: 5636974 (1997-06-01), Ikeda et al.
patent: 5734134 (1998-03-01), Park
patent: 5823294 (1998-10-01), Mizutani et al.
patent: 5893706 (1999-04-01), Kawaguchi et al.
patent: 5997257 (1999-12-01), Ishida et al.
patent: 196 14 186A (1996-10-01), None
patent: 5-240158 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 7-269485 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 8-35485 (1996-02-01), None
patent: 8-114182 (1996-05-01), None
Kobayashi Hisakazu
Kurakake Hirotaka
Nishimura Kenta
Ota Masaki
Gimie Mahmoud M
Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
Kamen Noah P.
Morgan & Finnegan L.L.P.
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