MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] The present invention will now be described with reference to accompanying drawings.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a vertical-sectional view showing a compression mechanism unit of a compressor in accordance with the present invention, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view showing a vane structure in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] The same reference numerals are given to the same and similar parts as in the former application invention as described above in the following descriptions.

[0050] A compression mechanism unit 10 of a compressor where vanes are installed includes: a rotational shaft 12 coupled at a rotor of an electric mechanism unit provided inside a casing 1 ; a Z-plate 15 dividing the inner space of the cylinder assembly including the cylinder 11 coupled with the rotational shaft 12 into a first space V 1 and a second space V 2 ; and a first vane 50 and a second vane 55 respectively inserted into the first and second bearing plates 13 and 14 and linearly and reciprocally moved along the cam face of the Z-plate 15 .

[0051] Especially, each vane 50 and 55 include vane rollers 52 and 57 at their front end portion so as to be in rolling-contact with the Z-plate 15 .

[0052] In FIG. 4 , reference number 5 is suction pipes through which a fluid is sucked into the casing 1 , 19 and 20 denote discharge mufflers for reducing a discharge noise, and 19 a and 20 a denote discharge holes formed at the discharge mufflers 19 and 20 , through which a compressed fluid is discharged.

[0053] Major constructional elements of the compression mechanism unit 10 will now be described.

[0054] The first and second bearing plats 13 and 14 are respectively mounted at an upper side and a lower side of the cylinder 11 , which form a compression space of the cylinder assembly together with the cylinder 11 .

[0055] The suction passages 11 a and 11 b are respectively formed at the cylinder 11 , communicating with the first space V 1 and the second space V 2 , in order to suck a fluid from outside. Discharge passages 13 a and 14 a are formed at each bearing plate 13 and 14 , which respectively include discharge valves 13 b and 14 b.

[0056] The Z-plate 15 is formed as a disk type when viewed from plane projection so that its outer circumferential surface can slidably contact the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 11 , and the circumferential side is formed as a cam face of a sine wave curve having the same thickness from the inner circumferential face to the outer circumference face when the side is opened.

[0057] In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the first vane 50 and the second vane 55 include a vane plate 51 formed in a square plate structure with a certain thickness and area; and a vane roller 52 rotatably mounted at a front end portion of the vane plate 51 and being in rolling-contact with the upper surface and the lower surface of the Z-plate 15 .

[0058] The vane plate 51 is supplied by springs 21 and 22 at its rear portion 51 a, and both sides 51 b and 51 c are respectively in contact with the inner circumferential face of the cylinder and the outer circumferential face of the rotational shaft 12 .

[0059] A long circular roller receiving hole 51 e is formed at a front end portion 51 d of the vane plat 51 , into which the vane roller 52 is inserted and mounted.

[0060] The roller receiving hole 51 e has a certain inner diameter as large as the vane roller 51 can be inserted. The roller receiving hole 51 e is preferably formed in such a structure that both sides of the vane plate 51 are all opened, but according to a designing condition, either one side may be opened or both sides may not be opened.

[0061] The vane roller 52 is formed in a circular bar structure with an outer diameter and length corresponding to the inner diameter and length of the roller receiving hole 51 e and is in rolling-contact with the cam face constituted by upper and lower sides of the Z-plate 15 .

[0062] The vane roller 52 is inserted and mounted in the roller receiving hole 51 e, and at this time, the both end portions of the vane roller 52 may be mounted exposed outwardly of the roller receiving hole 51 e.

[0063] The vanes 50 and 55 are respectively inserted into the vane slots of the first and second bearing plates 13 and 14 , so that the vane roller 52 of the front end portion 51 d is in rolling-contact at the upper surface and the lower surface of the Z-plate, and the both sides 51 b and 51 c of the vane plate 51 are respectively in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 11 and the outer circumferential surface of the rotational shaft 12 .

[0064] At this time, the vanes 50 and 55 are positioned in a radial direction, directing to the center of the Z-plate, and positioned perpendicular to the rotational shaft 12 .

[0065] The roller receiving hole 51 e is formed such that a center of the circular section thereof is positioned at a rather inner side than the front end portion 51 d of the vane plate 51 so that the vane rollers 52 and 57 are not released therefrom.

[0066] That is, as shown in FIG. 5 , the roller receiving hole 51 e has a space (L) between both ends smaller than the diameter (D) of the vane rollers 52 and 57 .

[0067] The operation and effect of the compressor having such a vane structure in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0068] When power is applied to the electric mechanism unit, the Z-plate 15 is rotated together with the rotational shaft 12 , and vanes 50 and 55 are vertically and reciprocally moved in the mutually opposite direction according to the height of the cam face of the Z-plate 15 .

[0069] At this time, as for the vanes 50 and 55 being in contact with the upper and lower can face of the Z-plate 15 , the vane rollers 52 and 57 provided at the front end portion roratably contact along the cam face of the Z-plate 15 when the vane rollers 52 and 57 are rotated, so that a friction resistance between the Z-plate 15 and the vanes 50 and 55 can be considerably reduced.

[0070] That is, the Z-plate 15 makes a rotational motion centering around the rotational shaft 12 , whereas the vanes 50 and 55 make a linear motion in an axial direction of the rotational shaft 12 while being in contact at the cam face of the Z-plate. Accordingly the motion direction of the Z-plate 15 and the vanes 50 and 55 makes 90°, causing a problem of generation of a severe friction at the mutual contact side.

[0071] Comparatively, however, in the present invention, the vane rollers 52 and 57 are provided at the vanes 50 and 55 , to make a rolling motion between the vanes 50 and 55 and the Z-plate 15 , agreeing with the rotation direction of the Z-plate 15 . Thus, a friction resistance between the Z-plate 15 and the vanes 50 and 55 can be minimized.

[0072] In order to mount the vane rollers 52 and 57 , the vane rollers 52 and 57 are pushed from the side and inserted into the roller receiving hole 51 e formed at each vane plate 51 . Therefore, less number of parts are required to mount the vane rollers 52 and 57 and its assembly work is easy, so that a productivity degradation can be prevented.

[0073] In addition, since the center of the roller receiving hole 51 e for receiving the vane rollers 52 and 57 is formed at the inner side of the contact end of the front end portion, so that the vane rollers 52 and 57 can be prevented from releasing during operation.

[0074] FIGS. 7 and 8 are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view showing a vane structure in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Compared to the construction of the first embodiment of the present invention in which only the vane rollers are inserted into the roller receiving hole, the second embodiment of the present invention proposes a structure that both sides of vanes 60 and 65 are rotatably supported by vane plates 61 and 66 .

[0076] That is, in the vane plates 61 and 66 , roller receiving holes 61 e and 66 e are formed at a front end portion being in contact with the Z-plate, of which both sides are not opened, and roller supports 61 b and 66 b are formed to rotatably support the vane rollers 62 and 67 by means of pin members 63 and 68 .

[0077] Pin through holes 62 a, 67 a, 61 c and 66 c are formed at the vane rollers 62 and 67 and at the roller supports 61 b and 66 b, into which the pin members 63 and 68 are inserted.

[0078] It is preferred that the size of the roller supports 61 b and 66 b is adjusted such that they are formed less protruded than the vane rollers 62 and 67 so as not directly to be in contact with the Z-plate.

[0079] Meanwhile, though not presented in the drawings, protrusions may be formed at both ends of the vane rollers 62 and 67 and inserted and mounted into grooves of the roller supports 61 b and 66 b, without installing pin members.

[0080] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a vane structure and a vane installation structure in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are explanatory side views showing a vane operation state of the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Unlike the vane rollers which are formed in a cylindrical structure with the same diameter as in the first and second embodiments as described above, a vane roller 72 in the third embodiment has a structure that it is tapering off.

[0082] That is, a roller receiving hole 71 e of a vane plate 71 is form in a conical shape, for which the vane roller 72 inserted into the roller receiving hole 71 e is also formed in a conical bar shape corresponding to the roller receiving hole 71 e. The conical vane roller 72 is in rolling-contact with the Z-plate 15 .

[0083] The vane roller 72 has a length corresponding to the length of the roller receiving hole 71 e and different diameters at both end portions as it tapers off to form a conical bar shape.

[0084] The roller receiving hole 71 e is formed in a conical shape with different inner diameters at both ends, of which lower surface being in contact with the Z-plate is opened.

[0085] The roller receiving hole 71 e is preferably formed from the side being in contact with an outer circumference of the rotational shaft 12 to the side being in contact with an inner wall of the cylinder 11 .

[0086] Namely, the roller receiving hole 71 e is preferably formed penetrating both sides of the vane plate 71 . In this respect, however, one side of the roller receiving hole 71 e may penetrate one side of the vane plate 71 with some portion of the other side remaining, or otherwise, a roller support may be formed at both sides likewise in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] The center of the roller receiving hole 71 e is to be formed inclined against the front end side of the vane plate 71 . The reason for this is to allow the contact surface of the tapering vane roller 72 inserted into the roller receiving hole 71 e to tightly adhered onto the upper surface or the lower surface of the Z-plate 15 , being level therein without a gap.

[0088] The tapering vane roller 72 is inserted such that the side with smaller diameter is positioned at the side of the rotational shaft 12 and the side with a larger diameter is positioned at the side of the inner wall of the cylinder 11 .

[0089] As vane 70 is inserted into the vane slot 13 a formed at the bearing plate 13 , the tapering vane roller 72 is in rolling-contact with the Z-plate and both sides of the vane plate 71 are respectively in contact with the outer circumferential face of the rotational shaft 12 and the inner circumferential face of the cylinder 11 .

[0090] At this time, the vane 70 is positioned in a radial direction toward the center of the Z-plate 15 and positioned perpendicular to the rotational shaft 12 .

[0091] The vane 70 is elastically supported by a spring coupled at one side of the bearing plate 13 . Accordingly, the vane 70 makes a rolling movement as the tapering vane roller is in line-contact with the Z-plate with an elastic force constantly.

[0092] The vane slot 13 a, into which the vane 70 is inserted, is penetratingly formed at the bearing plate 13 , having a width corresponding to the thickness of the vane 70 and a length corresponding to the length of the vane 70 .

[0093] That is, the vane slot 13 a has the same section and shape with the vane plate 71 of the vane 70 .

[0094] The operation and effect of the vane structure in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0095] When a rotational shaft 12 is rotated upon receiving a driving force from the electric mechanism unit, the Z-plate 15 is rotated along with the rotational shaft 12 , to respectively and successively change the first and second spaces within the cylinder assembly into a suction area and a compression area together with vanes 70 , to suck and compress and discharge a fluid.

[0096] In the above process, as the Z-plate 15 is rotated, vanes 70 being in contact with the waveform cam surface of the Z-plate are vertically moved along the cam surface, and at this time, the vane roller 72 of the vane 70 is rotated in a state of being in line-contact with the waveform curved surface of the Z-plate 15 .

[0097] According to the rotation of the Z-plate 15 , the vane roller 72 of the vane 70 makes a rolling movement in a state of being in line-contact with the Z-plate 15 , changing the first and second space within the cylinder assembly consisting of the cylinder 11 and the bearing plate to each suction area and compression area. Hence, a friction resistance between the Z-plate 15 and the vane 70 can be minimized and movement of the vane 70 can be smoothly made.

[0098] With reference to FIG. 10 , there is a difference between a curvature of an inner curved line (a) of the Z-plate 15 , that is, the curved line where the rotational shaft 12 and the Z-plate 15 meet, and the inner diameter, and a curvature of an outer curved line (b) of the Z-plate 15 and the outer diameter. In this connection, if the vane roller 72 of the vane 70 is formed in a bar structure wholly having the same diameter, an infinitesimal gap may occur due to the curvature difference between the inner curved line (a) and the outer curved line (b) of the Z-plate 15 . Then, an infinitesimal pressure leakage may occur between the suction area and the compression are.

[0099] However, if the vane roller 72 of the vane 70 is formed in a tapering bar shape, as shown in FIG. 11 , such an infinitesimal gap possibly caused due to the curvature difference between the inner curved line (a) and the outer curved line (b) of the Z-plate 15 can be prevented from occurrence. Therefore, a friction resistance can be minimized and a pressure leakage can be prevented.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0100] As so far described, according to the vane structure for a compressor of the present invention, by mounting the vane roller being in rotatably contact with the Z-plate in the vane, a friction resistance between the Z-plate and the vane can be reduced when the compressor is operated. Thus, abrasion between the Z-plate and the vane can be minimized, a noise occurrence can be restrained, durability of parts can be lengthened, and accordingly, a reliability of the compressor can be heightened.