Fluid compressor

• US 6,079,967 A
• Filed: 12/24/1997
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, THAI BA
• Application Number:
  US08/998,415
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 418/220, 418/94, 418/96, 418/88
• US Class Current: 418/220
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/107 with helical teeth

Abstract

A fluid compressor comprises a sealing case, an oil reservoir formed to an inner bottom portion of the sealing case, in an installed state, for storing an lubricating oil and a compression mechanism having a helical blade structure housed in the sealing case. The compression mechanism comprises a cylinder, a rotating member arranged in the cylinder so as to perform eccentric motion and a helical blade interposed between the rotating member and the cylinder for defining a plurality of partitioned compression chambers. The fluid compressor further comprises an electric motor unit housed inside the sealing casing in operative connection to the compression mechanism. The compression mechanism has a vertical structure in which the fluid is compressed and transferred in a perpendicular direction in the installed state. The compression mechanism is provided with a sucking portion for the fluid to be compressed to a portion below the rotating member, the rotating member is provided with an end surface located on the side of the sucking portion for defining a thrust surface which is supported by a bearing, and the thrust surface of the rotating member is immersed in the lubricating oil supplied from the oil reservoir.

Claims

1. A fluid compressor comprising:

a sealing case having an inner bottom portion;

an oil reservoir formed to said inner bottom portion for storing a lubricating oil, in a vertically installed state of the fluid compressor;

an electric motor unit housed on one end side in the sealing case; and

a compression mechanism unit housed on another end side in the sealing case and having a helical blade structure housed in said sealing case,

said compression mechanism unit comprising a cylinder, an upper bearing mounted to an upper end surface of the cylinder, a lower bearing mounted to a lower end surface of the cylinder, a rotational shaft penetrating said cylinder and supported by said upper and lower bearings to be rotatable, a rotating member arranged in said cylinder and carrying out an eccentric motion by the rotation of said rotational shaft, and a helical blade interposed between said rotating member and said cylinder for defining a plurality of partitioned compression chambers, said compression mechanism unit serving to suck a fluid to be compressed into one of the compression chambers positioned at one end thereof and to transfer the fluid towards another compression chamber at another one end thereof while compressing the fluid,

wherein said compression mechanism unit has a vertical structure in which the fluid is compressed and transferred in a perpendicular direction, said compression mechanism unit is provided with a sucking portion for the fluid to be compressed to a portion below said rotating member, said rotating member is provided, on a circumferential surface, with a helical groove to which said helical blade is wound about the groove thereby partitioning a space between said rotating member and said cylinder into a plurality of working chambers, said rotating member performs a revolving motion with respect to the cylinder and is provided with an end surface located on the side of said sucking portion for defining a thrust surface which is supported by the lower bearing, and an Oldham'"'"'s mechanism is engaged with the rotating member for preventing a self-rotation of said cylinder about an axis thereof said Oldham'"'"'s mechanism being arranged at the end of said rotating member on the side of the fluid sucking portion, said thrust surface of the rotating member and said Oldham'"'"'s mechanism being immersed in the lubricating oil supplied from said oil reservoir.

2. A fluid compressor according to claim 1, wherein said compression mechanism unit is disposed below said sealing case and said lower bearing is formed with an oil guide hole through which the lubricating oil in the oil reservoir is guided to the thrust surface of the rotating member.

3. A fluid compressor according to claim 2, further comprising an oil supply mechanism for supplying an oil to said compression mechanism unit, said oil supply mechanism being arranged so as to be immersed in the lubricating oil in said oil reservoir.

4. A fluid compressor according to claim 1, wherein said electric motor unit is disposed below said sealing case and has a rotational shaft projecting from an upper end surface of said electric motor unit and coupled to said compression mechanism unit.

5. A fluid compressor according to claim 4, wherein said compression mechanism unit has a portion in which the lubricating oil is stored by said lower bearing and said thrust surface of the rotating member is immersed in the lubricating oil.

6. A fluid compressor according to claim 1, wherein said sucking portion is constituted by a suction pipe connected to a side surface of said cylinder.