Drive arrangement for compressor of a transport refrigeration unit

• US 4,846,327 A
• Filed: 06/04/1985
• Issued: 07/11/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Mayer, Donald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOKE, VERONICA P
• Application Number:
  US06/741,089
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 192/84 C, 192/84 A, 192/84 AA, 192/105 C, 192/105 BA
• US Class Current: 192/84.961
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 27/112 with flat friction surfaces, e.g. discs
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence

Abstract

For a transport refrigeration unit having a refrigerant compressor 14 adapted to be driven alternatively by an engine 10 through belt 52, or by electric motor 12 through belt 58 has the clutch 36 mounted to the compressor 14 with both the engine 10 having a rigid pulley 38 on its output and the motor 12 having the rigid pulley 40 on its output.

Claims

1. For a transport refrigeration unit in which a refrigerant compressor is selectively belt drivable by either an internal combustion engine output through a clutch or from an electric motor output, a driving arrangement for said compressor, comprising:

a pulley rigidly fixed on said engine output;

a pulley rigidly fixed on said motor output;

a clutch having two separate pulleys including,

a first clutch pulley directly supported from the housing of said compressor through a bearing means having an inner race stationarily attached to said housing, said first clutch pulley being connected to be driven through belt means from said engine pulley,

a second clutch pulley directly attached to the shaft of said compressor and independently of any bearing support of said second pulley from said shaft, and being connected to be driven through belt means from said motor pulley, and

further including means selectively operable in accordance with engine operation and non-operation to effect engagement and disengagement, respectively, of said clutch,

so that said first clutch pulley is stationary when said compressor is motor driven and said first and second clutch pulleys both rotate when said compressor is engine driven.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein:

said selectively operable means includes centrifugally movable clutch shoe means carried by said first clutch pulley and operable to contact said second clutch pulley in response to said engine operating at or above a given speed.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein:

said selectively operable means includes an electrically operable field coil and said second clutch pulley includes an armature adapted to be drawn toward said field coil to lock said first and second pulleys together.