Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Kunio Iwanami

Masafumi Fukushima

Michio Yamamura

Masahiko Makino

Sadao Kawahara

Tatsuhisa Taguchi

Teruyuki Akazawa

Akihiko Shimizu

A scroll compressor includes a compressor housing made up of a cup-like first casing having a suction port defined therein and a cap-like second casing having a discharge port defined therein. The compressor housing accommodates a stationary scroll member having a stationary end plate and a stationary scroll wrap protruding axially from the stationary end plate, and an orbiting scroll member having an orbiting end plate and an orbiting scroll wrap protruding axially from the orbiting end plate, with the orbiting scroll wrap being in engagement with the stationary scroll wrap to define a plurality of working pockets therebetween. At least one shim is interposed between mating surfaces of the first and second casings to regulate axial gaps between axial end surfaces of the stationary and orbiting scroll wraps and the orbiting and stationary end plates opposed thereto. The stationary end plate is positioned in the proximity of the mating surfaces of the first and second casings so that a low-pressure chamber is defined between the stationary end plate and the first casing, while a high-pressure chamber is defined between the stationary end plate and the second casing. The location of the stationary end plate in the proximity of the mating surfaces of the first and second casings reduces a variation in the axial gaps referred to above.

Scroll compressor having a compressor housing made up of a cup-like

A scroll compressor includes an orbital drive mechanism for causing orbiting of an orbiting scroll relative to a stationary scroll. The orbiting scroll is formed with a generally cylindrical boss extending in a direction away from the stationary scroll. The orbital drive mechanism includes a main shaft rotatably supported by a compressor housing, an eccentric shaft extending from one end face of the main shaft and having a longitudinal axis parallel to, but offset laterally from a longitudinal axis of the main shaft, and an eccentric bush having a socket inserted rotatably into the cylindrical boss. The eccentric shaft, engaged in the socket, is of a non-circular cross-section having short and long axes perpendicular to each other. The eccentric shaft has rounded opposite apexes lying on the long axis thereof to define first and second rounded side faces, while the socket has a first inner wall portion of a smaller curvature confronting the first rounded side face of the eccentric shaft and a second inner wall portion of a greater curvature confronting the second rounded side face of the eccentric shaft. The eccentric shaft is spaced a predetermined distance from inner wall portions of the socket in the direction in which the short axis of the eccentric shaft extends so that the eccentric bush can swing relative to the eccentric shaft about a center of curvature of the first rounded side face of the eccentric shaft, thus varying the orbiting radius.

Scroll compressor having improved orbital drive mechanism

A scroll compressor includes a stationary scroll and an orbiting scroll having respective wrap elements in engagement with each other. Each of the stationary and orbiting wrap elements has a tip seal groove defined therein and having opposing internal and external walls that are formed so as to represent two involute curves having different phases, respectively.

Scroll compressor having optimized tip seal grooves

A scroll compressor includes a stationary scroll and an orbiting scroll having respective wrap elements in engagement with each other. An inner end portion of an internal wall of one of the wrap elements is partially shaped to represent a curve identical to or approximate to an envelope curve which is obtained through circular translation of a circular arc connected with an external wall of the other wrap element. The radius of the circular arc is so chosen as to increase the shortest distance a.sub.x from each of points on the curve to the external wall of the one wrap element towards the inner end of the one wrap element.

Growing community of inventors

Moriyama, Japan

Kunio Iwanami