REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR

• US 20100111705A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Maruiwa, Yasuharu, Miyamoto, Yoshiaki, Kimata, Yoshiyuki, Sato, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 8,257,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/32
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 27/009 Shaft sealings specially adapted for pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3404 and characterised by parts or details relating to lubrication, cooling or venting of the seal
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 31/002 Lubrication

Abstract

A refrigerant compressor is provided that can be assembled easily and can quickly discharge lubricating oil that leaks from contact sliding parts of its mechanical seal so as to prevent the oil from turning into sludge around the stationary ring. In a refrigerant compressor in which a mechanical seal which shaft seals the inner side and the outer side of a housing is installed at a portion of the housing through which a rotating shaft penetrates, a mechanical seal comprises a stationary ring securely fastened to the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion, a rotary ring securely fastened to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft to the inside of the stationary ring so as to face the stationary ring, whereby sliding contact is formed between sides of the stationary ring and the rotary ring. The inner circumferential surface of the boss portion to the outside of the stationary ring is provided with an inclined portion over the entire circumference or at least the gravitationally lower portion of the inner circumferential surface, which enlarges from the stationary ring side toward an oil discharge hole to the outside of the stationary ring.

Claims

1. A refrigerant compressor comprising a mechanical seal which is installed between the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion of a housing through which a rotating shaft penetrates and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and which shaft seals the inner side and the outer side of the housing, and an oil discharge hole which is provided to the outside of the mechanical seal of the boss portion and which discharges leaked oil to outside, characterized in that:

the mechanical seal comprises a stationary ring securely fastened to the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion, and a rotary ring securely fastened to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft to the inside of the stationary ring so as to face the stationary ring and to form sliding contact between the sides of the stationary ring and the rotary ring that face each other; and

an inner circumferential surface of the boss portion to the outside of the stationary ring comprises an inclined portion in which the entire inner circumference or at least a gravitationally lower portion of the surface of the boss portion to the outside of the stationary ring enlarges from the stationary ring side toward the oil discharge hole located to the outside of the stationary ring.

2. The refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that:

the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion comprises an annular stepped portion;

the stationary ring is securely fastened to the inside of the annular stepped portion; and

the inclined portion is provided within the inner circumferential surface of the annular stepped portion.

3. The refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the stationary ring comprises a second inclined portion in which the entirety of the inner circumference or at least a gravitationally lower portion of the inner circumferential surface of the stationary ring gradually enlarges from the rotary ring side toward the outer side.

4. The refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the inclined portion provided in the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion and the second inclined portion provided in the stationary ring provide a continuous surface.

5. The refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the oil discharge hole is provided so as to open in the inclined portion.

6. A refrigerant compressor comprising a mechanical seal which is installed between the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion of a housing through which a rotating shaft penetrates and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and which shaft seals the inner side and the outer side of the housing, and an oil discharge hole which is provided to the outside of the mechanical seal of the boss portion and which discharges leaked oil to outside, characterized in that:

the mechanical seal comprises a stationary ring securely fastened to the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion, and a rotary ring securely fastened to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft to the inside of the stationary ring so as to oppose the stationary ring and to form sliding contact between the sides of the stationary ring and the rotary ring that face each other; and

the inner diameter of the contact sliding portion of the rotary ring and the inner diameter of the entire circumference or at least the gravitationally lower portion of the inner circumferential surface of the stationary ring are substantially equal to each other.

7. The refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the inner diameter of the entire circumference or of at least a gravitationally lower portion of the inner circumferential surface of the stationary ring gradually enlarges from the rotary ring side toward the oil discharge hole to the outside of the stationary ring.

8. The refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the expression (D1−

D2)/D1≦

0.07 is satisfied, where D1 is the inner diameter of the contact sliding part of the rotary ring and D2 is the inner diameter of the entire inner circumference or at least the gravitationally lower portion of the inner circumferential surface of the stationary ring.

9. A refrigerant compressor comprising a mechanical seal which is installed between the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion of a housing through which a rotating shaft penetrates and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and which shaft seals the inner side and the outer side of the housing, and an oil discharge hole which is provided to the outside of the mechanical seal of the boss portion and which discharges leaked oil to outside, characterized in that:

the mechanical seal comprises a stationary ring securely fastened to the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion, and a rotary ring securely fastened to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft to the inside of the stationary ring so as to face the stationary ring and to form sliding contact between the sides of the stationary ring and the rotary ring that face each other; and

the rotating shaft has a helical portion through which the leaked oil can be transported to the oil discharge hole by rotation of the rotating shaft, the helical portion provided in an entirety or a portion of a section of the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft extending from a position outside of the position at which the rotary ring is installed to the oil discharge hole.

10. A refrigerant compressor comprising a mechanical seal which is installed between the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion of a housing through which a rotating shaft penetrates and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and which shaft seals the inner side and the outer side of the housing, and an oil discharge hole which is provided to the outside of the mechanical seal of the boss portion and which discharges leaked oil to outside, characterized in that:

the mechanical seal comprises a stationary ring securely fastened to the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion, and a rotary ring securely fastened to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft to the inside of the stationary ring so as to face the stationary ring and to form sliding contact between the sides of the stationary ring and the rotary ring that face each other; and

a temperature sensor is provided on the stationary ring or in the vicinity of the installation location thereof, and rotation of the rotating shaft is stopped or decelerated when the detected value of the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

11. A refrigerant compressor comprising a mechanical seal, which is installed between the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion of a housing through which a rotating shaft penetrates and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and which shaft seals the inner side and the outer side of the housing, and an oil discharge hole which is provided to the outside of the mechanical seal of the boss portion and which discharges leaked oil to outside, characterized in that:

the mechanical seal comprises a stationary ring securely fastened to the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion, and a rotary ring securely fastened to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft to the inside of the stationary ring so as to face the stationary ring and to form sliding contact between the sides of the stationary ring and the rotary ring that face each other; and

cooling means for cooling the stationary ring and the rotary ring of the mechanical seal is provided to the outside of the stationary ring.

12. The refrigerant compressor as set forth in claim 11, characterized in that the cooling means comprises blower blades attached to the rotating shaft.

13. A refrigerant compressor comprising a mechanical seal which is installed between the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion of a housing through which a rotating shaft penetrates and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft and which shaft seals the inner side and the outer side of the housing, and an oil discharge hole which is provided to the outside of the mechanical seal of the boss portion and which discharges leaked oil to outside, characterized in that:

the mechanical seal comprises a stationary ring securely fastened to the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion, and a rotary ring securely fastened to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft to the inside of the stationary ring so as to face the stationary ring and to form sliding contact between the sides of the stationary ring and the rotary ring that face each other; and

cooling fins are provided on the side of the stationary ring opposite from the rotary ring and/or the inner circumferential surface of the stationary ring, integrally with or separately from the stationary ring.