EXPANDER-COMPRESSOR UNIT

• US 20100269536A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogata, Takeshi, Takahashi, Yasufumi, Wada, Masanobu, Shiotani, Yu, Oyagi, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 8,192,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/402
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 13/04 for driving pumps or compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/0215 where only one member is moving
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/356 with vanes reciprocating with respect to the outer member
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2240/809 Lubricant sump
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/005 of dissimilar working principle
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/008 Hermetic pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/025 using a lubricant pump

Abstract

An expander-compressor unit (200) includes a closed casing (1), a compression mechanism (2), an expansion mechanism (3), a shaft (5), and an oil pump (6). The shaft (5) includes an upper shaft (5s) provided with an upper eccentric portion (5a) for the compression mechanism (2), and a lower shaft (5t) provided with lower eccentric portions (5d and 5c) for the expansion mechanism (3) and an intermediate eccentric portion (5e) for the oil pump (6). The expansion mechanism (3) has an upper bearing member (45) for supporting a supported portion (5f) of the lower shaft (5t) located immediately above the lower eccentric portion (5d). The intermediate eccentric portion (5e) has a diameter equal to or less than that of the supported portion (5f).

Claims

1. An expander-compressor unit comprising:

a closed casing having a bottom portion utilized as an oil reservoir;

a compression mechanism disposed in the closed casing so as to be located above or below an oil level of an oil held in the oil reservoir;

an expansion mechanism disposed in the closed casing so that a positional relationship of the expansion mechanism with respect to the oil level is vertically opposite to that of the compression mechanism;

an oil pump disposed between the compression mechanism and the expansion mechanism and configured to supply the oil held in the oil reservoir to one of the compression mechanism and the expansion mechanism that is located above the oil level; and

a shaft coupling the compression mechanism, the oil pump, and the expansion mechanism, the shaft having an intermediate eccentric portion for the oil pump, an upper eccentric portion for the compression mechanism or the expansion mechanism located above the oil level, a lower eccentric portion for the expansion mechanism or the compression mechanism immersed in the oil held in the oil reservoir, wherein;

the shaft includes a lower shaft provided with the intermediate eccentric portion and the lower eccentric portion, and an upper shaft coupled to the lower shaft and provided with the upper eccentric portion;

the expansion mechanism or the compression mechanism immersed in the oil held in the oil reservoir has a bearing member for supporting a portion of the lower shaft above the lower eccentric portion; and

the intermediate eccentric portion has a diameter equal to or less than that of the portion of the lower shaft supported by the bearing member.

2. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 1, further comprising a motor located between the oil pump and one of the compression mechanism and the expansion mechanism that is located above the oil level, the motor having a rotor fixed to the upper shaft.

3. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate eccentric portion is off-centered in a direction opposite to a direction in which the lower eccentric portion is off-centered with respect to a shaft center of the lower shaft.

4. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 1, wherein the compression mechanism is located above the oil level and the expansion mechanism is located below the oil level.

5. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 4, wherein the compression mechanism is a scroll-type mechanism and the expansion mechanism is a rotary-type mechanism.

6. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 4, further comprising a partition member that is disposed between the oil pump and the expansion mechanism, partitions the oil reservoir into an upper tank in which a suction port of the oil pump is located and a lower tank in which the expansion mechanism is located, and restricts a flow of the oil between the upper tank and the lower tank.

7. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 6, further comprising a spacer that is disposed between the partition member and the expansion mechanism and ensures a space between the partition member and the expansion mechanism.

8. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of the spacers are disposed, each of the spacers is cylindrical, a bolt for fixing the partition member to the expansion mechanism extends through each of the spacers, and the spacers are made of the same material as that used for the bolt.

9. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 7, wherein the lower shaft has, in a region corresponding to the spacer, a portion that is slimmer than the portion of the lower shaft supported by the bearing member.

10. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 7, further comprising a shaft cover covering the lower shaft in the space ensured by the spacer, wherein the shaft cover serves also as a positioning member for determining a position of the partition member relative to the expansion mechanism.

11. The expander-compressor unit according to claim 10, wherein the oil pump has a piston into which the intermediate eccentric portion is fitted and a housing accommodating the piston, and the piston is integrated with the partition member.