Lubrication – Systems – Rotary compressor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-17
2001-12-04
Fenstermacher, David (Department: 3682)
Lubrication
Systems
Rotary compressor
C277S394000, C277S408000, C277S552000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325175
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a compressor for refrigerant, comprising a housing, at least one refrigerant-compressing element arranged in the housing, a shaft which has a section extending in the housing and driving the refrigerant-compressing element, a section passing through a wall of the housing and a drive section projecting out of the housing as well as a sealing arrangement effective between the section of the shaft passing through the wall and the housing, the sealing arrangement having a slide ring seal and an outer sealing ring, between which an oil receiving chamber is arranged, from which oil can be discharged via an oil outlet.
Compressors of this type are known from the state of the art. For example, it is provided for the oil to issue from the oil receiving chamber via an oil outlet, wherein the oil outlet is a channel leading to the outside directly from the oil receiving chamber.
Such a solution has the disadvantage that, on the one hand, appreciable amounts of oil can leak out and their collection must be taken care of and that, on the other hand, it is possible for air to enter the oil receiving chamber and also, via this, the interior of the compressor and cause corrosion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object underlying the invention is therefore to improve a compressor of the generic type in such a manner that, on the one hand, as little oil as possible leaks out and, on the other hand, as good a shut-off as possible in relation to the entry of air can be achieved.
This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention, in a compressor of the type described at the outset, in that an oil collecting area of the oil receiving chamber communicates via a siphon arrangement with an ascending channel which leads to an outlet for the oil.
The advantage of the inventive solution is to be seen in the fact that, on the one hand, air is prevented from entering to a great extent by the siphon arrangement and, on the other hand, the ascending channel following the siphon arrangement contributes to retaining the oil to as great an extent as possible in the oil collecting area and thus of allowing as little oil as possible to leak out when it is assumed that the ascending channel and the oil receiving chamber are filled via the siphon arrangement in accordance with the principle of communicating pipes.
In this respect, it is particularly expedient when the ascending channel is designed as an oil storage means. In this case, the ascending channel serves, in addition, to store oil passing through the siphon arrangement prior to exiting and thus creates the possibility, in addition, of retaining oil to a considerable extent and, where possible, not allowing it to leak out and, in particular, in the cases where an underpressure occurs in the interior of the compressor of seeing to it that the stored oil flows back into it again.
With respect to the design of the ascending channel, the most varied of possibilities are conceivable.
For example, it would be conceivable to design the ascending channel by way of a pipe introduced into the oil receiving chamber.
It is, however, particularly expedient when the ascending channel extends along a housing wall and thus requires as little space as possible so that no additional constructional space need be made available for the inventive solution.
A solution, with which the ascending channel extends in the housing wall, saves even more on space.
In order to give the ascending channel as large a volume as possible without this requiring a large cross section it is preferably provided for the ascending channel to be designed as an annular channel which surrounds the shaft and is thus, on the one hand, easy to arrange and, on the other hand, has a very large volume for storing oil on account of the annular encircling of the shaft.
For reasons of functional efficiency it is particularly favorable when the ascending channel is formed by two interacting elements which limit the ascending channel and so these elements merely need to be fitted together during the manufacture of the inventive compressor.
A particularly favorable solution provides for one of the elements to be a section of the housing wall and the other to be an insert member abutting on the section so that a further simplification of production results due to the fact that one of the elements can already be formed by a section of the housing wall and thus no separate part is required.
The ascending channel can be formed by the two elements particularly inexpensively when one of the elements has a groove. In this respect, it could, in principle, also be conceivable for the other element of the elements to have a groove and for both grooves together to form the ascending channel.
It is, however, even simpler when the other one of the elements covers the groove.
With respect to the position of the ascending channel itself, no further details have been given. It would, for example, be conceivable to form the ascending channel outside the housing preferably on parts to be arranged on it. It is, however, particularly advantageous when the ascending channel is located within an outer contour of the housing.
It is even more advantageous, in order not to alter the outer contour of the housing at all, when the elements interacting to form the ascending channel are both located within an outer contour of the housing.
A particularly favorable solution provides for one of the elements to be formed by the outer seal of the compressor so that, for this as well, no additional part need be mounted on the compressor but the seal which is present in any case can be used for limiting the ascending channel.
With respect to the design of the siphon arrangement, no further details have been given in conjunction with the preceding description of the individual embodiments. One advantageous solution, for example, provides for the siphon arrangement to comprise an oil bath shutting off an inlet of the ascending channel.
This oil bath is preferably formed in a recess located in front of the inlet into the ascending channel.
This recess is preferably provided in the housing wall in order not to have to use any additional components and thus to have a solution available which is inexpensive and as simple as possible to produce with parts which are present in any case.
In the simplest case, the recess is arranged such that it adjoins the groove forming the ascending channel and overlaps with it, wherein the inlet for the ascending channel is also formed by the overlapping.
With respect to the continuation of the ascending channel, no further details have been given in conjunction with the inventive solution described thus far. One advantageous embodiment, for example, provides for the ascending channel to open into an outlet channel leading to the outlet. As a result, the ascending channel does not lead directly out of the housing but this is ensured by an additional outlet channel and so the ascending channel can be arranged at the most favorable location irrespective of the position of the outlet.
In this respect, the outlet channel is preferably designed such that it passes through the housing, in particular, a housing wall thereof.
In order to prevent, in addition, any dirt penetrating the outlet channel, the outlet is closed by a member permeable to oil which is produced, in particular, from a porous material, such as, for example, felted or sintered metal or the like.
In order to counteract as comprehensively as possible any exiting of leakage oil based on the principle of communicating pipes, it is preferably provided for the outlet to be arranged on a side of the shaft located opposite the oil collecting area, preferably at a point of the housing located as high as possible, at least at the level of a maximum height of the oil receiving chamber and thus a considerable degree of filling of the oil receiving chamber is required in order to allow oil, in particular, leakage oil to issue from the outlet.
Additional features and advantages of the invention are the subject matter of the following descrip
Dittrich Guenter
Pollrich Volker
Bitzer Kuehlmaschinenbau GmbH
Fenstermacher David
Lipsitz Barry R.
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