Refrigeration – Refrigeration producer – With lubricant handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2001-09-11
Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Refrigeration producer
With lubricant handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286334
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerant compressor and a refrigerating apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a refrigerant compressor and a refrigerating apparatus using at least a refrigerant selected from the group of hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerants or a mixed refrigerant formed by mixing two or more refrigerants selected from the group, i.e., an HFC-based refrigerant in place of the conventional CFC-based or HCFC-based refrigerants containing chlorine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional refrigerant compressor composing a refrigerating apparatus, a plain bearing made of a material comprising a surface layer containing lead bronze, a resin such as PTFE and a lead component for improving slidability is usually used in a sliding section engaging with a driving shaft of the compressor or an engaging section with a stationary member rotatably supporting the driving shaft.
On the other hand, R-12, a CFC-based refrigerant containing chlorine, and R-22, an HCFC-based refrigerant, have been used as a refrigerant. As compared with sulfur dioxide and methylchloride, refrigerants used therebefore, these conventional refrigerants are chemically more stable, less toxic and non-flammable. They had therefore been popularly employed as ideal refrigerants. More recently, however, chloride contained in the CFC-based and HCFC-based refrigerants were found to destruct the ozone layer of the stratosphere, and there is an urgent demand for the development and use of a new refrigerant taking the place of these conventional refrigerants. Highly practicable new refrigerants taking the place of the CFC-based and HCFC-based refrigerants include hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-based refrigerants not containing chloride.
Because a refrigerating lubricant is discharged from a compressor, carried by the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigerating apparatus, and circulated in the compressor, the oil should have misciblity with the refrigerant. Mineral oils and alkylbenzene oil used as conventional CFC-based or HCFC-based refrigerants have a very low misciblity with the above-mentioned HFC-based alternative refrigerants. It is therefore conceived to use an ester oil miscible with the alternative refrigerants.
However, when an HFC-based refrigerant, an alternative refrigerant, and an ester oil, a refrigerating lubricant, are combined and used, and the compressor is based on a combination of a plain bearing comprising a material containing lead, lead contained in the material of the bearing precipitates in the refrigerating lubricant, thus resulting in deterioration of the refrigerating lubricant. Deterioration of the refrigerating lubricant leads to a poorer lubricity of the sliding portions such as the bearing section, this further causing wear and galling of the sliding portions and hence a decrease in reliability.
Also in the case where the compressor has a rolling bearing, the rolling bearing receives a very high load on a limited small load bearing surface. The lubricant fed to the load bearing surface of the rolling bearing therefore locally receives a very high pressure. An ester oil has a far smaller viscosity under a high pressure than a mineral oil and a low oil film forming ability on the load bearing surface. The ester oil was thus found to suffer from wear and galling of the sliding portions, leading to a lower reliability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has an object to provide a refrigerant compressor and a refrigerating apparatus, excellent in reliability, which, even when using a combination of a compressor having a plain bearing made of a material containing lead and a hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerant not containing chlorine as a refrigerant, can inhibit precipitation of lead from the plain bearing section into a refrigerating lubricant.
Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerant compressor and a refrigerating apparatus, excellent in reliability, which, even when using a combination of a compressor having a rolling bearing and a hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerant not containing lead as a refrigerant, is capable of keeping a high viscosity of a refrigerating lubricant on the load bearing surface of the rolling bearing.
The first feature of the present invention for achieving the aforementioned object is a refrigerant compressor comprising a compressing section sucking and compressing a refrigerant selected from the group of hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerants or a mixed refrigerant formed by mixing two or more refrigerants selected from the above group of refrigerants, and a plain bearing slidably supporting a driving shaft for driving the compressing section; wherein the plain bearing comprises a member containing lead, and an ether oil miscible with the sucked and compressed refrigerant is used as a lubricating oil for the plain bearing.
The second feature of the invention is a refrigerant compressor comprising a compressing section sucking and compressing a refrigerant selected from the group of hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerants or a mixed refrigerant formed by mixing two or more refrigerants selected from the above group of refrigerants, and a plain bearing slidably supporting a driving shaft for driving the compressing section; wherein the compressing section sucking and compressing the refrigerant comprises a scroll type compressor mechanism composed of a pair of spiral scrolling members; a sliding engagement section engaging the scrolling members of the scroll type compressor mechanism and the driving shaft thereof comprises; a member containing lead; and ether oil is used as a lubricant for lubricating the sliding engagement section.
The third feature of the invention is a refrigerant compressor comprising a compressing section sucking and compressing a refrigerant selected from the group of hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerants or a mixed refrigerant formed by mixing two or more refrigerants selected from the above group of refrigerants, and a plain bearing slidably supporting a driving shaft for driving the compressing section on a stationary member, wherein the compressing section sucking and compressing the refrigerant comprises a scroll type compressor mechanism composed of a pair of spiral scrolling member; a sliding engagement section engaging the scrolling members of the scroll type compressor mechanism and the plain bearing slidably supporting the driving shaft comprises a member containing lead; and ether oil is used as a lubricant for lubricating the sliding engagement section and the plain bearing.
The fourth feature of the invention is a refrigerant compressor comprising a compressor mechanism sucking and compressing a refrigerant selected from the group of hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerants or a mixed refrigerant formed by mixing two or more refrigerants selected from the above group of refrigerants, a driving shaft for driving the compressor mechanism, and a plain bearing which supports a force generated upon compressing the refrigerant at the compressor mechanism by the rotation of the driving shaft and has a sliding section containing lead; wherein an ether oil miscible with the refrigerant is used as a lubricant.
The fifth feature of the invention is a refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor sucking and compressing a refrigerant selected from the group of hydrofluorocarbon-based refrigerants or a mixed refrigerant formed by mixing two or more refrigerants selected from the above group of refrigerants, and a condenser; wherein the compressor has a driving shaft for driving the compressing section, and a plain bearing slidably supporting the driving shaft, and the plain bearing comprises a member containing lead; and wherein an ether oil miscible with the refrigerant used for a refrigerant circuit is used as a lubricant for lubricating the plain bearing.
The sixth feature of the invention is a refrigerating apparatus comprising a refrigerant circuit composed of a scroll compressor using a plain bearing for slidably supporting a
Mizuno Takao
Tojo Kenji
Tomita Yoshikatsu
Ueda Hideyuki
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Doerrler William
Drake Malik N.
Hitachi , Ltd.
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