Variable capacity rotary compressor

• US 20070003423A1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jeong
• Granted Patent: US 7,281,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 418/29
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 14/065 Capacity control using a multiplicity of units or pumping capacities, e.g. multiple chambers, individually switchable or controllable
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/3564 the surfaces of the inner and outer member, forming the working space, being surfaces of revolution
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/001 of similar working principle
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/008 Hermetic pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/04 specially adapted for reversible pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/0057 for eccentric movement

Abstract

A variable capacity rotary compressor has a simplified structure to reduce manufacturing costs and assembling time thereof and is capable of easily and conveniently performing a capacity-changing operation. The variable capacity rotary compressor includes first and second compression chambers having different capacities, a rotary shaft disposed through the first and second compression chambers, first and second eccentric cams mounted at the rotary shaft in the first and second compression chambers, respectively, first and second eccentric bushes rotatably mounted at outer surfaces of the first and second eccentric cams, respectively, a connection part connected between the first and second eccentric bushes, the connection part having a latching groove extending in a rotating direction of the rotary shaft, a latching pin protruding from the rotary shaft such that the latching pin is disposed in the latching groove, and holding grooves depressed by a predetermined depth at opposite ends of the latching groove in a longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft to hold the latching pin therein.

Claims

1. A variable capacity rotary compressor comprising:

first and second compression chambers having different capacities;

a rotary shaft disposed through the first and second compression chambers;

first and second eccentric cams mounted at the rotary shaft in the first and second compression chambers, respectively;

first and second eccentric bushes rotatably mounted at outer surfaces of the first and second eccentric cams, respectively;

a connection part connecting the first and second eccentric bushes, the connection part having a latching groove extending in a rotating direction of the rotary shaft;

a latching pin protruding from the rotary shaft such that the latching pin is disposed in the latching groove; and

holding grooves depressed by a predetermined depth at opposite ends of the latching groove in a longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft to hold the latching pin therein.

2. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein the first and second eccentric bushes and the connection part are movable in the longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft to engage the latching pin in one of the holding grooves.

3. The compressor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a spring to apply an elastic force to the first and second eccentric bushes in the longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft.

4. The compressor according to claim 3, further comprising:

a spring supporting protrusion formed at the rotary shaft to support one end of the spring; and

a spring receiving groove formed at one of the first and second eccentric bushes to support another end of the spring.

5. The compressor according to claim 3, wherein each of the holding grooves is formed in a shape of a semicircle.

6. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined depth of the holding grooves is less than a diameter of the latching pin.

7. A variable capacity rotary compressor, comprising:

first and second compression chambers having different volumes;

a rotary shaft disposed through the first and second compression chambers;

a latching pin disposed at the rotary shaft to move to one of first and second positions by a rotation direction of the rotary shaft to activate one of the first and second compression chambers; and

a holding unit including holding grooves to accommodate the latching pin to control the latching pin to remain at the one of the first and second positions until the rotation direction is reversed.

8. The variable capacity rotary compressor according to claim 7, further comprising:

a first eccentric unit disposed at the rotation shaft in the first compression chamber to activate the first compression chamber when the latching pin is at the first position;

a second eccentric unit disposed at the rotation shaft in the second compression chamber to activate the second compression chamber when the latching pin is at the second position;

a connection portion to connect the first and second eccentric unit; and

a latching groove formed in the connection portion in a circumferential direction to accommodate the latching pin and to guide the movement of the latching pin between the first and second positions.

9. The variable capacity rotary compressor according to claim 8, wherein the holding unit comprises:

a first holding groove formed at a first end of the latching groove in a longitudinal direction to hold the latching pin at the first position when the rotary shaft is rotated in a first direction; and

a second holding grove formed at the second end of the latching groove in the longitudinal direction to hold the latching pin at the second position when the rotary shaft is rotated in a second direction.

10. The variable capacity rotary compressor according to claim 9, wherein the holding unit further comprises:

a spring to elastically bias the first and second eccentric units in the longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft to engage the latching pin in the first and second holding grooves when the latching pin moves to the first and second positions.

11. The variable capacity rotary compressor according to claim 9, wherein the first and second holding grooves respectively extend from the first and second ends of the latching groove in the longitudinal direction by a distance less than a diameter of the latching pin.

12. A variable capacity rotary compressor, comprising:

first and second compression chambers having different volumes;

a rotary shaft disposed through the first and second compression chambers to rotate in a first direction and a second direction; and

an eccentric unit disposed at the rotary shaft to rotate with the shaft at a first position when the rotary shaft rotates in the first direction and at a second position when the rotary shaft rotates in the second direction and to move along the rotary shaft in a longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft by a predetermined distance at the first and second positions to prevent slipping from the first and second positions.

13. The variable capacity rotary compressor according to claim 12, further comprising:

a guiding grove formed in the eccentric unit in a rotating direction of the rotary shaft;

a latching pin extending from the rotary shaft to be accommodated in the guiding groove and to contact opposite ends of the guiding groove to rotate the eccentric unit to the first and second positions; and

first and second holding grooves formed in the eccentric unit at the opposite ends of the guiding groove and extending from the opposite ends of the guiding groove by the predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft to accommodate the latching pin and control a range of movement of the eccentric unit in the longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft.

14. The variable capacity rotary compressor according to claim 13, further comprising:

an elastic member to apply an elastic force to the eccentric unit to move the eccentric unit in the longitudinal direction at the first and second positions.

15. The variable capacity rotary compressor according to claim 14, wherein the elastic member controls the latching pin to engage with the first and second holding grooves when the latching pin rotates the eccentric unit to the first and second positions, respectively.

16. The variable capacity rotary compressor according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined distance is less than a diameter of the latching pin.