Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Compressor

Compressor description/claims

The present invention relates to, for example, a piston-reciprocating compressor in which a piston is provided free to reciprocate in a cylinder bore, and specifically, to a compressor suitable as a compressor used in an air conditioning system for vehicles.

As a compressor used in an air conditioning system for vehicles, a piston-reciprocating compressor where a plurality of cylinder bores are provided in a cylinder block and a piston is provided free to reciprocate in each cylinder bore is known. In such a compressor, a suction chamber and a discharge chamber are provided in a cylinder head, and in a suction stroke, a suction hole is opened by an operation that refrigerant gas pushes to open a suction reed valve provided in a valve plate so that the refrigerant gas in the suction chamber is sucked into the cylinder bore. On the other hand, in a compression stroke, the suction reed valve is closed, and a discharge valve is opened by being pushed. Then, the compressed refrigerant gas is discharged from the cylinder bore into the discharge chamber.

In the above-described suction stroke, the pressure in the cylinder bore is reduced down to a pressure lower than the pressure in the suction chamber, the suction reed valve is pushed toward and opened into the cylinder bore when a difference between both inner pressures is caused, and at that time, there is a fear that a pressure loss at the suction valve portion becomes great and the efficiency of the compressor (e.g. adiabatic compression efficiency or volumetric efficiency) may be reduced. Although it is effective for improving the above-described pressure loss to enlarge the suction hole so as to make the opening area, when the suction hole is opened, larger, if the suction hole is formed larger, when the pressure in the cylinder bore increases momentarily, for example, ascribed to liquid compression, there may be a fear that the suction reed valve cannot endure with the increased pressure and it may be deformed or damaged. If the suction reed valve is deformed, a predetermined valve opening operation may not be carried out, and by reduction of the sealability accompanying therewith, the compression efficiency may be reduced. On the other hand, in the suction stroke, there is a case where the suction reed valve vibrates by the flow resistance at the suction valve section and the vibration causes a pressure pulsation.

Where, as a proposal for smoothing the opening operation of the suction reed valve, a technology is proposed wherein a recessed portion smaller in width than an arm section of the suction reed valve is provided in a region of the valve plate with which the arm section is in contact, and by providing the recessed portion, while a sticking force due to the presence of lubricant oil, which causes a delay of valve opening operation, is reduced, the valve opening operation is smoothened by enlarging the pressure receiving area of the suction reed valve due to the pressure difference between the pressure in the cylinder bore and the pressure in the suction chamber (Patent document 1). In this proposal, however, there may be a fear that the suction reed valve is deformed by the increase of the pressure in the cylinder bore accompanied with a compression operation and whereby the sealability between the suction valve and the valve plate and it causes a reduction of the efficiency.

Patent document 1: Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open 5-89876

The object of the present invention is to provide a compressor which can prevent deformation etc. of a suction valve in a suction stroke, can improve the suction efficiency etc., and can suppress vibration of a suction reed valve by reducing pressure loss.

To achieve the above-described object, a compressor according to the present invention has a cylinder bore where fluid is compressed, a valve plate for partitioning the cylinder bore and a suction chamber, a suction hole provided in the valve plate and communicating the cylinder bore and the suction chamber, and a suction reed valve for opening and closing the suction hole and caused, when being closed, to be in contact with a suction reed valve seal section of the valve plate which is located outside a suction hole-provided region, and is characterized in that a suction reed valve support section, with which the suction reed valve can be in contact when the suction reed valve is closed, is provided also in the suction hole-provided region of the valve plate, a valve function is provided between an outer periphery portion of a suction reed valve contact section of the suction reed valve support section and the suction reed valve, and a through hole is provided in a part inside a portion where the valve function of the reed valve is provided. In such a structure, because the suction reed valve support section is provided in the suction hole-provided region which can be in contact with the suction reed valve when the suction reed valve is closed, when the pressure in the cylinder bore increases and the suction reed valve is closed and strongly pressed onto the valve plate side in the compression step, the suction reed valve is supported by the suction reed valve support section and the suction reed valve is prevented from being deformed. Further, because the valve function is provided between the outer periphery portion of the suction reed valve contact section of the suction reed valve support section and the suction reed valve and the through hole is provided in the part inside the portion where the valve function of the suction reed valve is provided, refrigerant gas from the suction chamber is to be flowed into the cylinder bore passing the through hole. Further, in the embodiment provided with the through hole, substantially the same effect as that due to an enlarged suction channel can be expected, and the pressure loss at the time of suction operation can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, if a valve function is provided between the outer periphery portion of the suction reed valve contact section of the suction reed valve support section and the suction reed valve, flowing out of refrigerant gas into the suction chamber side through the through hole can be surely prevented when the suction reed valve is closed, that is, in the compression stroke. Therefore, even in a case where the suction hole is enlarged for the purpose of reducing the pressure loss, deformation of the suction valve section corresponding to the suction hole-provided region can be surely prevented.

Further, it is preferred that a groove or a recessed portion is provided on the contact surface side of the suction reed valve support section to be in contact with the suction reed valve. In such a structure, because the contact area can be reduced while keeping the supporting strength for the suction reed valve, a problem of a delay of valve opening operation ascribed to a sticking force due to lubricant oil can be surely dissolved. Further, if the above-described groove or the recessed portion is communicated with the suction chamber, because refrigerant gas in the suction chamber can be flowed into the groove or the recessed portion, a quicker and smoother valve opening operation can be ensured utilizing the pressure of the refrigerant gas flowed in.

Further, the contact surface at the outer periphery portion of the suction reed valve contact section of the suction reed valve support section to be in contact with the suction reed valve, which is provided with the above-described valve function, is preferably located to be flush relative to the suction reed valve seal section of the suction reed valve, which is located outside the suction reed valve support section, alternatively, closer to the cylinder bore than the suction reed valve seal section, or closer to the suction chamber than the suction reed valve seal section. In such a structure, because the seal section with a small area of the suction reed valve support section lifts the suction reed valve from the suction reed valve seal section, a delay in valve opening operation ascribed to the sticking force due to lubricant oil on the suction reed valve seal section can be reduced in the stage at which no pressure difference between the suction chamber side and the cylinder bore side has been exhibited when transferred to the suction stroke, and therefore, the valve opening operation can be more quickly and more smoothly. Where, it is also possible to set the above-described contact surface so as to be located closer to the suction chamber than the suction reed valve seal section.

The above-described suction reed valve support section either can be formed integrally with the valve plate, or can be formed the suction reed valve support section and the valve plate separately. In the structure where the suction reed valve support section and the valve plate are formed integrally with each other, the position where the suction reed valve support section contacts with the suction reed valve can be adjusted by press forming after polishing of the valve plate, for example.

In the compressor according to the present invention, because the suction reed valve support section, which can be in contact with the suction reed valve when the suction reed valve is closed, is provided in the suction hole-provided region, deformation of the suction reed valve can be surely prevented.

Further, in the compressor according the present invention, the valve function is provided between the outer periphery portion of the suction reed valve contact section of the suction reed valve support section and the suction reed valve, and the through hole is provided in a part inside the portion where the valve function of the suction reed valve is provided. Namely, if the through hole is provided in the suction reed valve, because refrigerant gas is flowed into the cylinder bore by passing the through hole, substantially the same effect as an enlarged suction channel is expected and the pressure loss at the time of suction operation can be greatly reduced. Further, if a valve function is provided between the outer periphery portion of the suction reed valve contact section of the suction reed valve support section and the suction reed valve, flowing out of the refrigerant gas passing the through hole when the suction valve is closed is surely prevented. Further, if the contact surface with the suction reed valve in the outer periphery portion of the suction reed valve contact section of the suction reed valve support section is located to be flush relative to the suction reed valve seal section of the suction reed valve, otherwise closer to the cylinder bore than the suction reed valve seal section, a part of the suction valve is lifted toward the cylinder bore side by the contact surface when the suction reed valve closes the suction hole. Therefore, a delay in valve opening originated from the sticking force due to lubricant oil on the suction reed valve seal section can be prevented in the stage at which the pressure difference between the suction chamber side and the cylinder bore side disappears when transferred to the suction stroke, the valve opening operation can be ensured more quickly and more smoothly.

FIG. 1 is a partial, vertical sectional view of a compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws