WO2003060325A1

WO2003060325A1 - Compressor

Info

Publication number: WO2003060325A1
Application number: PCT/JP2001/011598
Authority: WO
Inventors: Masaki Ota; Ken Suitou; Tomoji Tarutani; Kazuya Kimura; Ryo Matsubara; Taku Adaniya
Original assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
Priority date: 2000-06-27
Filing date: 2001-12-27
Publication date: 2003-07-24

Abstract

A housing is internally formed with a delivery chamber (22) through which a refrigerant delivered from a compression chamber (1b) passes, and a suction chamber (21) through which the refrigerant to be sucked into the compression chamber (1b) passes. The delivery chamber (22) is connected to an external refrigerant circuit (50) by a delivery path, and the suction chamber (21) is connected to the external refrigerant circuit (50) by a suction path. The delivery chamber (22) or the delivery path is provided with a check valve for preventing the refrigerant from flowing from the external refrigerant circuit (50) back into the delivery chamber (22), and an oil separator for separating the refrigerant from misty lubricating oil mixed therein. The lubricating oil thus separated is introduced into a crank chamber (5) through a communication passageway (28). This ensures compatibility between prevention of the refrigerant from flowing from the external refrigerant circuit (50) back into the delivery chamber (22) and prevention of the lubricating oil from flowing into the external refrigerant circuit (50).

Description

Compressor

Technical field

The present invention relates to a compressor, and more particularly, to a compressor in which movable parts in a housing are lubricated with mist lubricating oil mixed with a coolant.

Background art

As a variable displacement compressor (hereinafter simply referred to as a compressor) applied to a vehicle air conditioner, for example, there is one as shown in FIG. That is, a crank chamber 102 is defined in a housing 101, and a drive shaft 103 is rotatably arranged. The rib seal 104 is interposed between the housing 101 and seals a gap between the drive shaft 103 and the housing 101.

The drive shaft 103 is operatively connected to a vehicle engine Eg as an external drive source via an electromagnetic friction clutch 105 as a power transmission mechanism. The friction clutch 105 includes a mouth 106 operatively connected to the vehicle engine Eg, an armature 107 fixed to the drive shaft 103 so as to be integrally rotatable, and a coil 108. The coil 108 attracts the armature 107 to the rotor 106 by excitation, and fastens the two 106, 107, so that power can be transmitted between the vehicle engine Eg and the drive shaft 103. Yes (friction clutch 105 is on). When the coil 108 is demagnetized in this state, the armature 107 is separated from the rotor 106, and the power transmission between the vehicle engine Eg and the drive shaft 103 is cut off (the friction clutch 105 is turned off). The rotary support 109 is fixed to the drive shaft 103 in the crank chamber 102, and a swash plate 110 is connected to the rotary support 109 via a hinge mechanism 111. The swash plate 110 is connected to the rotary support 109 via a hinge mechanism 111 so that it can rotate integrally with the drive shaft 103 and change the inclination angle of the drive shaft 103 with respect to the axis L. The minimum inclination angle defining section 112 is provided on the drive shaft 103 and abuts on the minimum inclination angle of the swash plate 110.

The cylinder pore 113, the suction chamber 114 and the discharge chamber 115 are formed in the housing 101. The piston 116 is accommodated in the cylinder bore 113 so as to be able to reciprocate, and is connected to the swash plate 110.

Then, the rotational movement of the drive shaft 103 is converted into a reciprocating movement of the biston 116 via the rotary support 109, the hinge mechanism 111 and the swash plate 110, and the suction port of the valve / port forming body 117 provided in the housing 101 is formed. Refrigerant gas from the suction chamber 114 into the cylinder bore 113 via the inlet 117a and the suction valve 117b, compression of the suction refrigerant gas, and the discharge port 117c and the discharge valve 117d of the valve / port forming body 117. The compression cycle of discharging the compressed refrigerant gas to the discharge chamber 115 is repeated.

The suction chamber 114 and the discharge chamber 115 are connected by an external refrigerant circuit (not shown). The refrigerant discharged from the discharge chamber 115 is introduced into the external refrigerant circuit. In this external refrigerant circuit, heat exchange using the refrigerant is performed. The refrigerant discharged from the external refrigerant circuit is introduced into the suction chamber 114, is drawn into the cylinder bore 113, and undergoes a compression action again. The bleed passage 119 communicates the crank chamber 102 with the suction chamber 114. The air supply passage 120 connects the discharge chamber 115 and the crank chamber 102. The control valve 121 is provided on the air supply passage 120, and is capable of adjusting the opening degree of the air supply passage 120.

The control valve 121 is based on a signal from a control computer (not shown). The drive circuit is driven by a current output from a drive circuit (not shown) to adjust the opening degree of the air supply passage 120. The control valve 121 operates to open the air supply passage 120 when power is not supplied from the drive circuit, and operates to adjust the opening degree of the air supply passage 120 when power is being supplied. It is like that.

By adjusting the opening of the control valve 121, the balance between the amount of high-pressure gas introduced into the crank chamber 102 through the air supply passage 120 and the amount of gas discharged from the crank chamber 102 through the bleed passage 119 is increased. Is controlled to determine the crank pressure P c. In accordance with the change of the crank pressure P c, the difference between the crank pressure P c via the piston 116 and the internal pressure of the cylinder bore 113 is changed, and as a result, the inclination angle of the swash plate 110 is changed. In other words, the discharge capacity is adjusted.

Here, for example, when the compressor is rotated at the maximum discharge capacity, the force at which the friction clutch 105 is turned off in response to the operation of turning off the air conditioner switch (not shown), or the vehicle engine E g Stops and the compressor operation stops. In such a case, the power supply to the control valve 121 is also stopped (the input current value is set to zero), and the air supply passage 120 is suddenly fully opened. Therefore, the supply amount of the high-pressure refrigerant gas from the discharge chamber 115 to the crank chamber 102 is rapidly increased, and the pressure in the crank chamber 102 is excessively increased because the bleed passage 119 cannot fully escape the rapid increase. To rise. Further, the pressure in the cylinder bore 113 is reduced by trying to equalize the pressure in the suction chamber 114 due to the stoppage of the compressor. As a result, the pressure difference between the cylinder pore 113 and the crankcase 102 is excessively increased.

For this reason, the swash plate 110 with the minimum inclination angle (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 7) is pushed through the hinge mechanism 111 so as to be pressed against the minimum inclination angle defining portion 112 with excessive force. Rotating support 109 backward (right drawing) )) It will also pull strongly to the side. As a result, the driving shaft 103 receives a strong moving force toward the rear side of the axis L, and slides against the urging force of the driving shaft urging panel 118. This may cause the following problems.

(a) When the drive shaft 103 slides in the direction of the axis L, the sliding position with the rib seal 104 may deviate from a predetermined position called a contact line. Foreign matter such as sludge often adheres to a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 103 deviating from the contact line. For this reason, the lip seal 104 has a sludge penetrating between the lip seal 104 and the drive shaft 103, and the shaft sealing performance is reduced, thereby causing problems such as gas leakage.

(b) When the friction clutch 105 is turned off, in other words, when the power transmission between the vehicle engine Eg and the drive shaft 103 is cut off, when the drive shaft 103 slides rearward on the axis L, The armature 107 fixed to the drive shaft 103 moves to the rotor 106 side. When the friction clutch 105 is in the off state, the talliance between the rotor 106 and the armature 107 is set to a very small value (for example, 0.5 mm). Therefore, the clearance between the rotor 106 and the armature 107 is easily lost due to the slide movement of the drive shaft 103 to the rear side of the axis L, and the rotor 106 in which the armature 107 is rotating is easily lost. It may make noise and vibration due to sliding contact, and allow power transmission.

(c) When the drive shaft 103 slides rearward on the axis L, the piston 116 connected to the drive shaft 103 via the swash plate 110 slides rearward inside the cylinder pore 113. Then, the dead center tends to shift to the valve port forming body 117 side. Further, immediately after the friction clutch 105 is turned off or immediately after the vehicle engine Eg is stopped, the drive shaft 103 continues to rotate slightly due to inertia. Therefore, during this inertial rotation, When the piston 116 is located at the top dead center, the piston 116 impacts against the valve port forming body 117, and the collision generates vibration and noise. In order to prevent the slide movement of the drive shaft 103, measures to increase the urging force of the drive shaft urging panel 118 can be considered. However, the durability of the thrust bearing 123, which can receive this large load, is considered. A new problem arises in that power is reduced and power loss is increased.

By the way, in the compressor, it is necessary to lubricate each of the movable parts in order to smoothly operate the movable parts in the compressor. Therefore, the compressor mixes the mist-like lubricating oil with the refrigerant so that the lubricating oil circulates together with the circulation of the refrigerant between the compressor and the external refrigerant circuit. The compressor has a structure in which the movable parts are exposed to the refrigerant. Therefore, the movable part is also exposed to the mist lubricating oil, and the movable part can be lubricated.

However, the atomized lubricating oil is also introduced into the external refrigerant circuit by the refrigerant circulation. The lubricating oil acts in the external refrigerant circuit in a direction to reduce the efficiency of heat exchange performed in the circuit. Further, since the lubricating oil is discharged from the inside of the compressor to the outside, the amount of the lubricating oil in the compressor decreases, and the lubricating efficiency in the compressor decreases.

The various problems caused by the increase in the pressure of the crank chamber 102 can be solved by, for example, the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-315875. In this configuration, a check valve that regulates the refrigerant flow direction is provided between the discharge chamber and the external refrigerant circuit, so that the reverse flow of the refrigerant from the external refrigerant circuit side to the discharge chamber side is prevented. I'm sorry. By preventing the backflow of the refrigerant, the high-pressure refrigerant gas present on the side of the external refrigerant circuit is introduced into the crank chamber 102 through the air supply passage 120 when the air supply passage 120 is fully opened as described above. Will not be done. As a result, the crank chamber The internal pressure of 102 does not rise excessively.

Further, the problem due to the discharge of the lubricating oil to the external refrigerant circuit can be solved by, for example, the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-280160. In this configuration, an oil separator that separates the mist of the lubricating oil mixed with the refrigerant from the refrigerant is provided in the discharge chamber, and discharge of the lubricating oil to the external refrigerant circuit is suppressed. I have.

However, in the former publication, no consideration is given to the problem of discharge of the lubricating oil into the external refrigerant circuit only with respect to the prevention of the backflow of the refrigerant. Conversely, in the latter publication, no consideration is given to the problem of increasing the pressure in the crank chamber, but only to the problem of discharging the lubricating oil into the external refrigerant circuit. Disclosure of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a compressor capable of preventing a backflow of refrigerant from an external refrigerant circuit to a discharge chamber and suppressing discharge of lubricating oil to the external refrigerant circuit.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides, in a housing, a discharge chamber through which refrigerant discharged from a compression chamber passes, and a suction chamber through which refrigerant sucked into the compression chamber passes; A compressor that connects the suction chamber and the external refrigerant circuit with a suction path while connecting the chamber and the external refrigerant circuit with a discharge path, and circulates the refrigerant with the external refrigerant circuit. Or a check valve for preventing the refrigerant from flowing back from the external refrigerant circuit to the discharge chamber in the discharge path; an oil separator for separating mist-like lubricating oil mixed with the refrigerant; And an oil supply passage for introducing the separated lubricating oil into the low-pressure region. According to the present invention, the oil separator separates the refrigerant and the lubricating oil, and suppresses the discharge of the lubricating oil to the external refrigerant circuit. Since the lubricating oil causes a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency in the external refrigerant circuit, the separation can suppress the decrease in the heat exchange efficiency. The lubricating oil separated from the refrigerant described above is introduced into the low-pressure region via the oil supply passage. The low pressure region in the present invention refers to the suction chamber, the suction path, a crank chamber formed in the housing, and the like. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the amount of lubricating oil in the compressor including the suction path and to lubricate the inside of the compressor satisfactorily. Further, the check valve prevents the backflow of the refrigerant from the external refrigerant circuit to the discharge chamber.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be more fully understood from the accompanying drawings and the description of preferred embodiments of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an outline of a compressor according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view (with a valve closed) of a unit 40, which is a main part of the compressor of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view showing a state where the valve body in FIG. 2 is viewed from above.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view (valve-opened state) of a unit 40, which is a main part of the compressor in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view (in a valve-opened state) of a unit 70, which is a main part of a compressor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view (in a valve-closed state) of a unit 70 which is a main part of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a compressor according to the related art.

(First Embodiment)

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in Fig. 1, the variable capacity compressor (hereinafter simply referred to as the compressor) C is a cylinder block 1, a front housing 2 joined to its front end, and a rear end of cylinder block 1. And a rear housing 4 joined to the housing via a valve forming body 3. The cylinder hook 1, the front housing 2, the valve forming body 3, and the rear housing 4 are joined and fixed to each other by a plurality of through-ports 10 (only one is shown in FIG. 1), and a compressor is provided. Construct C housing. A crank chamber 5 is defined in a region surrounded by the cylinder opening 1 and the front housing 2. In the crank chamber 5, a drive shaft 6 is rotatably supported by a pair of front and rear radial bearings 8A and 8B. A panel 7 and a rear thrust bearing 9B are arranged in a housing recess formed in the center of the cylindrical hook 1. On the other hand, a lug plate 11 is fixed on the drive shaft 6 in the crank chamber 5 so as to be rotatable, and a front thrust bearing 9 is provided between the lug plate 11 and the inner wall surface of the front housing 2. A is provided. The integrated drive shaft 6 and lug plate 11 are moved in the thrust direction (drive shaft axis direction) by the rear thrust bearing 9B and the front thrust bearing 9A urged forward by the panel 7. Positioned. A lip seal 2A is provided between the drive shaft 6 and the front housing 2 on the front side of the radial bearing 8A. The rib seal 2A seals a gap between the drive shaft 6 and the front housing 2 so that the inside and the outside of the compressor C are pressure-isolated. The front end of the drive shaft 6 is operatively connected to a vehicle engine E as an external drive source via a power transmission mechanism PT. The power transmission mechanism PT may be a clutch mechanism (for example, an electromagnetic clutch) capable of selecting the transmission of power by an external electric control, or may be a constant transmission type that does not have such a clutch mechanism. It may be a clutchless mechanism (for example, a belt / pulley combination). In this embodiment, a clutchless type power transmission mechanism is employed.

As shown in FIG. 1, a swash plate 12 as a cam plate is accommodated in the crank chamber 5. The swash plate 12 has a through hole formed in the center thereof, and the drive shaft 6 is disposed through the through hole. The swash plate 12 is operatively connected to the lug plate 11 and the drive shaft 6 via a hinge mechanism 13 as a connection guide mechanism. The hinge mechanism 13 has two support arms 14 (only one is shown) protruding from the rear surface of the lag plate 11, and two support arms 14 protruding from the front surface of the swash plate 12. Guide bin 15 (only one is shown). The swash plate 12 is synchronized with the lug plate 11 and the drive shaft 6 by the linkage between the support arm 14 and the guide bin 15 and the contact with the drive shaft 6 in the central through hole of the swash plate 12. It is rotatable and tiltable with respect to the drive shaft 6 with sliding movement in the axial direction of the drive shaft 6. Note that the swash plate 12 has a power weight section 12 a on the opposite side of the hinge mechanism 13 across the drive shaft 6.

An inclination reducing panel 16 is provided around the drive shaft 6 between the lag plate 11 and the swash plate 12. The inclination decreasing panel 16 urges the swash plate 12 in a direction approaching the cylinder block 1 (the inclination decreasing direction). In addition, a return panel 17 is provided around the drive shaft 6 between the restriction ring 18 fixed to the drive shaft 6 and the swash plate 12. In this return panel 17, the swash plate 12 is in the state of large inclination (indicated by the two-dot chain line). Sometimes the swash plate 12 is simply wound around the drive shaft 6 and does not exert any urging action on the swash plate or other members. It is compressed between 18 and the swash plate 12 to urge the swash plate 12 in the direction away from the cylinder block 1 (increase in tilt angle). In the present case, the inclination angle (inclination angle) of the swash plate 12 is defined as the angle between the virtual plane orthogonal to the drive shaft 6 and the swash plate 12.

In the cylinder block 1, a plurality of cylinder bores la (only one is shown in FIG. 1) are formed around the drive shaft 6, and the cylinder-side end of each cylinder pore 1a is closed by the valve forming body 3. Have been. Each cylinder bore la contains a single-headed piston 20 in a reciprocating manner. Each cylinder pore 1a has a compression chamber 1 whose volume changes according to the reciprocating movement of the piston 20. b is partitioned. The front end of each biston 20 is moored to the outer periphery of the swash plate 12 via a pair of showers 19, and via this shower 19 each of the toner 20 is connected to the swash plate 12. It is operatively connected. Therefore, when the swash plate 12 rotates synchronously with the drive shaft 6, the rotational motion of the swash plate 12 is changed to the reciprocating linear motion of the piston 20 in the stroke corresponding to the tilt angle. Is converted.

Further, a suction chamber 21 located in the central area and a discharge chamber 22 surrounding the suction chamber 21 are formed between the valve forming body 3 and the rear housing 4. The valve forming body 3 is formed by stacking a suction valve forming plate, a port forming plate, a discharge valve forming plate, and a retainer forming plate. The valve forming body 3 has a suction valve 24 for opening and closing the suction port 23 and the port 23, and a discharge valve for opening and closing the discharge port 25 and the port 25 corresponding to each cylinder bore 1a. Valve 26 is formed. The suction chamber 21 communicates with each cylinder bore 1 a via the suction port 23, and the cylinder pore 1 a communicates with the discharge chamber 22 via the discharge port 25. The suction chamber 21 and the crank chamber 5 are connected by a bleed passage 27. Further, the discharge chamber 22 and the crank chamber 5 are connected by a communication path 28 via a unit 40 described later, and a control valve 30 is provided in the middle of the communication path 28. .

The control valve 30 includes a solenoid part 31 and a valve element 32 operatively connected to the solenoid part 31 via a rod. Control (not shown) A solenoid circuit 31 is driven by a current output from a drive circuit (not shown) based on a signal from a computer to change the position of the valve body 32 and adjust the opening of the communication passage 28. It has become. The valve element 32 is arranged at a position that opens the communication path 28 when power is not supplied from the drive circuit, and adjusts the opening degree of the communication path 28 when power is supplied. I have.

By adjusting the opening of the control valve 30, the balance between the amount of high-pressure gas introduced into the crankcase 5 through the communication passage 28 and the amount of gas discharged from the crankcase 5 through the bleed passage 27 is increased. It is controlled to determine the crank pressure Pc. In accordance with the change in the crank pressure P c, the difference between the crank pressure P c via the piston 20 and the internal pressure of the cylinder pore 1 a is changed, and as a result, the inclination angle of the swash plate 12 is changed. The stroke of the ton 20, that is, the discharge capacity (refrigerant circulation amount) is adjusted. In this case, the communication passage 28 and the control valve 30 function as a part of an air supply passage for introducing the refrigerant in the discharge chamber 22 into the crank chamber 5.

Note that the maximum inclination angle of the swash plate 12 is regulated by the contact of the counterweight portion 12 a of the swash plate 12 with the lug plate 11. On the other hand, the minimum tilt angle is the tilt reduction panel 16 in a state where the difference between the crank pressure Pc via the biston 20 and the internal pressure of the cylinder bore 1a is almost maximized in the tilt reduction direction. And the return balance of the return panel 17 are determined as the dominant factors. The rear housing 4 is provided with a suction port 21A serving as an inlet for introducing a refrigerant into the suction chamber 21. Further, the rear housing 4 is provided with a mounting port 22 A communicating with the discharge chamber 22, and a unit 40 having a discharge port 42 F described later is mounted on the mounting port 22 A. An external refrigerant circuit 50 is interposed between the suction port 21A and the discharge port 42F.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the unit 40 is a cylindrical case 42 with a substantially bottomed shape attached to the mounting opening 22A of the rear housing 4, and is housed in the case 42. Check valve 41 is provided. The check valve 41 includes a disc 44 press-fitted into the discharge port 42F, and a substantially bottomed cylindrical casing 43 having an open end face joined and fixed to the disc 44. In the casing 43, a valve chamber 43A is formed by covering the opening-side end face of the casing 43 with a disk 44. A valve inlet 43B as a refrigerant inlet is formed at the bottom of the casing 43, and a valve outlet 44A as a refrigerant outlet is formed at the disc 44. In the valve chamber 43A, a valve body 45 is housed so as to be able to reciprocate between a valve inlet 43B and a valve outlet 44A. The valve body 45 is urged toward the valve inlet 43 B by a valve closing panel 46.

The valve body 45 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom, a part of the bottom side is formed in a tapered shape, and the diameter becomes smaller toward the tip. When the valve body 45 is pressed against the valve inlet 43B, a part of this tapered portion enters the valve inlet 43B to close the valve inlet 43B. A plurality of (four in the present embodiment) grooves 45 A are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the valve body 45 along the axial direction of the valve body 45 (see FIG. 3. It is the figure which looked at the body 45 from the opening side of the said valve body 45.). A notch 45B is formed in the opening end face of the valve body 45 of the groove 45A, and the valve body 4 The outside and inside of 5 are communicated. When the valve body 45 moves to the disk 44 side against the urging force of the panel 46, the opening side of the valve body 45 comes into contact with the disk 44 and further movement is restricted. It is now. At this time, the valve outlet 44A is covered by the opening side of the valve body 45, but the valve inlet 43B and the valve outlet 44A are formed by the groove 45A and the notch 45B. (See Figure 4).

In the check valve 41, the urging force on the valve body 45 by the refrigerant pressure on the upstream side of the check valve 41 and the urging force on the valve body 45 by the refrigerant pressure on the downstream side of the check valve 41 are determined. The opening and closing operation of the valve inlet 43B is performed by the balance between the biasing force and the biasing force by the valve closing panel 46, and the backflow of the refrigerant is prevented. When the urging force due to the upstream pressure becomes larger than the sum of the urging force due to the downstream pressure and the urging force due to the valve closing panel 46, the check valve 41 allows the flow of the refrigerant. . Conversely, when the biasing force due to the upstream pressure becomes smaller than the sum of the biasing force due to the downstream pressure and the biasing force due to the valve closing panel 46, the check valve 41 flows the coolant. Does not allow. That is, the check valve 41 prevents the backflow of the refrigerant from the downstream side (the external refrigerant circuit 50 side) to the upstream side (the discharge chamber 22 side).

When the check valve 41 is housed in the case 42, the opening side of the case 42 is covered with the disk 44 to define the separation chamber 42A. The downstream side (opening side) of the disk 42 of the case 42 functions as a discharge port 42F as a refrigerant discharge port. In FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, for convenience, illustration of a mechanism for connecting and fixing the discharge port 42F and the flow pipe 22B is omitted. The case 42 has an inlet 42B for introducing the refrigerant in the discharge chamber 22 into the separation chamber 42A. The inlet 42B and the discharge chamber 22 are connected by an inlet passage 42C. In the inlet 42B, the refrigerant introduced into the separation chamber 42A swirls inside the separation chamber 42A. Thus, it is formed along the circumferential direction of case 42. Since the casing 43 of the check valve 41 is disposed in the separation chamber 42A, the refrigerant introduced into the separation chamber 42A from the inlet 42B is actually a case 4. It turns in the gap between the inner peripheral surface of 2 and the outer peripheral surface of the casing 43. By this swirling, the lubricating oil mixed with the refrigerant is centrifuged and adheres to the inner peripheral surface of the case 42.

A tapered inclined recess 42D is provided at the bottom of the case 42, and the lubricating oil attached to the inner peripheral surface of the case 42 and drooping is provided at the bottom of the inclined recess 42D. It is easy to gather in the back. A discharge passage 42E for discharging the lubricating oil out of the unit 40 is formed in the innermost portion of the inclined concave portion 42D. As shown in FIG. 1, the lubricating oil discharged out of the unit 40 through the discharge passage 42E is introduced into the crank chamber 5 as a low pressure region through the communication passage 28 and the control valve 30. It is supposed to be. The case 42, the casing 43, and the disk 44 constitute an oil separator for separating mist-like lubricating oil mixed with the refrigerant. In this case, the discharge passage 42 E, the communication passage 28 and the control valve 30 function as an oil supply passage for supplying the lubricating oil separated by the oil separator to the crank chamber 5. In addition, the inlet passage 42C, the inlet 42B, the separation chamber 42A and the discharge passage 42E of the unit 40 supply the refrigerant in the discharge chamber 22 to the crank chamber 5 side. It functions as a part of the passage.

Further, a discharge path connecting the discharge chamber 22 and the external refrigerant circuit 50 is constituted by the mounting port 22 A, the unit 40 and the flow pipe 22 B, and the suction port 21 A and the flow pipe 21 are formed. B forms a suction path connecting the suction chamber 21 and the external refrigerant circuit 50.

Next, the operation of the compressor configured as described above will be described. Power is transmitted from the vehicle engine E to the drive shaft 6 via the power transmission mechanism PT. When supplied, the swash plate 12 rotates with the drive shaft 6. As the swash plate 12 rotates, each piston 20 reciprocates in a stroke corresponding to the tilt angle of the swash plate 12, and the suction, compression, and discharge of refrigerant are sequentially repeated in each of the cylinder pores 1a. It is.

When the cooling load is large, the control computer issues a command signal to the drive circuit to increase the value of the current supplied to the solenoid unit 31. Due to a change in the current value from the drive circuit based on this signal, the solenoid portion 31 increases the urging force so that the valve body 32 further reduces the opening of the communication passage 28. As a result, the valve element 32 moves and the opening degree of the communication passage 28 decreases. As a result, the amount of high-pressure refrigerant gas supplied from the discharge chamber 22 to the crank chamber 5 via the communication path 28 decreases, the pressure in the crank chamber 5 decreases, and the inclination angle of the swash plate 12 increases. As a result, the discharge capacity of the compressor C increases. When the communication passage 28 is fully closed, the pressure in the crank chamber 5 drops significantly, the inclination angle of the swash plate 12 becomes maximum, and the discharge capacity (refrigerant circulation amount) of the compressor C becomes maximum. .

Conversely, when the cooling load is small, the solenoid portion 31 reduces the urging force so that the valve body 32 increases the opening of the communication passage 28. As a result, the valve element 32 moves and the opening degree of the communication passage 28 increases. As a result, the pressure in the crank chamber 5 increases, the inclination angle of the swash plate 12 decreases, and the discharge capacity (refrigerant circulation amount) of the compressor C decreases. When the communication passage 28 is fully opened, the pressure in the crank chamber 5 rises greatly, the inclination angle of the swash plate 12 is minimized, and the discharge capacity of the compressor C is minimized. The refrigerant discharged to 2 is introduced into the separation chamber 42A via the introduction passage 42C and the introduction port 42B. At this time, in the separation chamber 42A, the mist mixed with the refrigerant together with the refrigerant Lubricating oil is introduced. These refrigerant and lubricating oil circulate along the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the case 42 and the outer peripheral surface of the casing 43 of the check valve 41. During the turning, the lubricating oil is centrifuged, collected in the inclined recess 42D, and then introduced into the crank chamber 5 via the discharge passage 42E, the communication passage 28 and the control valve 30. The lubricating oil introduced into the crankcase 5 lubricates mechanical components (bearings, hinge mechanisms, etc.) in the crankcase 5.

The refrigerant separated from the lubricating oil tries to enter the valve chamber 43A through the valve inlet 43B. At this time, the refrigerant pushes up the valve body 45, passes through a gap formed between the bottom of the valve body 45 and the valve inlet 43B, enters the valve chamber 43A, and forms the groove 4 Pass 5 A to reach valve outlet 44 A. When the valve body 45 is in contact with the disk 44 by being pushed up by the refrigerant, the refrigerant is formed by the disk 44 and the notch 45B after passing through the groove 45A. It reaches the valve outlet 4 4 A through the gap. The refrigerant that has reached the outside of the valve chamber 43A through the valve outlet 44A enters the external refrigerant circuit 50 through the circulation pipe 22B, and performs a heat exchange action.

In the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Since the check valve 41 is provided between the discharge chamber 22 and the external refrigerant circuit 50, the backflow of the refrigerant from the external refrigerant circuit 50 to the discharge chamber 22 can be prevented. . That is, for example, when the compressor C is turned off, the power supply to the solenoid portion 31 of the control valve 30 is stopped, the abnormal passage 28 is fully opened, and the high-pressure refrigerant in the external refrigerant circuit 50 is discharged. The crank pressure P c does not rise abnormally suddenly to the crank chamber 5 via the chamber 22, the unit 40 and the communication passage 28. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the slide movement of the drive shaft 6 and the trouble caused by the movement. This defect includes, for example, (a), (b) and (c) in the prior art. (2) A check valve 41 is provided to prevent abnormal increase of the crank pressure P c when power supply to the control valve 30 is stopped, so that accelerated deterioration of the rib seal 2A is suppressed and durability of the compressor C is reduced. Can be improved.

(3) An oil separator is provided between the discharge chamber 22 and the external refrigerant circuit 50 to suppress the amount of lubricating oil discharged to the external refrigerant circuit 50 side, so that the heat of the refrigerant in the external refrigerant circuit 50 is reduced. The exchange efficiency can be increased, and the lubrication efficiency in the compressor C can be increased.

(4) Since the lubricating oil separated at the unit 40 is introduced into the crankcase 5, the lubricating oil can lubricate the crankcase 5. In the crank chamber 5, sliding portions of a mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the drive shaft 6 into the reciprocating motion of the piston 20 (for example, the front thrust bearing 9A, the hinge mechanism 13, the swash plate 12) And Show 19) are relatively large. For this reason, if the lubrication efficiency of the moving part of the crank chamber 5 is improved, the operation efficiency of the compressor C can be improved.

(5) The oil separator is arranged upstream of the check valve 41. As a result, an oil supply passage for introducing the lubricating oil separated by the oil separator into the crank chamber 5 together with the oil separator is also arranged upstream of the check valve 41. That is, even if the downstream side of the check valve 41 has a higher pressure than the upstream side, the downstream side refrigerant does not flow backward to the upstream side through the oil supply passage. Therefore, the backflow of the refrigerant can be prevented without providing a means for opening and closing this passage in the oil supply passage.

(6) Since the check valve 41 and the oil separator are integrated into the unit 40, the installation space for both can be reduced as a whole as compared with the case where both are provided separately. In addition, since the unit 40 is assembled to the rear housing 4, the assemblability and the maintainability are improved. (7) The check valve 41 is arranged in the case 42 to separate the lubricating oil on the outer peripheral side of the casing 43 and prevent the refrigerant from flowing back on the inner peripheral side. That is, the casing 43 is commonly used for both the lubricating oil separating function and the refrigerant backflow preventing function. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

(8) The valve body 45 is arranged so as to be able to reciprocate within the inner peripheral side of the bottomed cylindrical casing 43, and a groove 45A is formed on the outer periphery of the valve body 45, and the valve body is formed. Refrigerant from a valve inlet 43 B formed below 45 was passed through the groove 45 A to reach a valve outlet 44 A formed above the valve body 45. If the groove 45 A is not provided on the outer circumference of the valve body 45, the refrigerant cannot pass from below to above the valve body 45, so that the refrigerant flows inside the casing 43. It is necessary to provide a hole on the peripheral surface of the casing 43 to escape from the outside. However, in this case, an external casing for housing the casing 43 is further provided so that the refrigerant from the inlet 42B does not enter the casing 43 through the hole, and the outer periphery of the outer casing is provided. It is necessary to make the refrigerant and lubricating oil swirl. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the groove 45A is formed in the valve body 45 so that the refrigerant can pass from below to above the valve body 45, thereby reducing the number of parts and reducing the cost. It is possible to achieve.

(9) Since the notch 45B is provided in the valve element 45 along with the groove 45A, even if the valve element 45 is lifted and abuts against the disk 44, the refrigerant passes through the notch 45B. It can pass through to the valve outlet 44 A.

(10) The disk 44 is formed as the separation chamber 42A and is commonly used as the member forming the valve chamber 43A, so that the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

(1 1) Provide an inclined recess 4 2 D in the case 4 2, and The lubricating oil hanging from the wall surface (the inner peripheral surface of the case 42) is guided to the discharge passage 42E. For this reason, lubricating oil is easily collected in the discharge passage 42E, and the compressor C can be installed at an angle within a predetermined angle range.

(1 2) Since the refrigerant and the lubricating oil are swirled around the outer periphery of the casing 43 of the check valve 41, the unit is compared with the case where the oil separator is arranged in series upstream of the check valve. G 40 can be shortened, and the arrangement space can be reduced.

(13) Since the unit 40 was installed in the compressor C, which is a variable displacement compressor, when the refrigerant circulation amount (discharge capacity) decreased, the check valve 41 connected the discharge chamber 22 to the external refrigerant. By closing the refrigerant passage to and from the circuit 50, the outflow of lubricating oil to the external refrigerant circuit 50 is suppressed.

(14) A part of an air supply passage for supplying the refrigerant in the discharge chamber 22 to the crank chamber 5 is an oil supply passage for supplying lubricating oil separated by an oil separator to the crank chamber 5, A control valve 30 for adjusting the opening degree of the passage was provided in the middle of the passage (oil supply passage). In addition, the amount of refrigerant circulation

(Discharge capacity) decreases and the amount of refrigerant leaking from the compression chamber 1b to the crank chamber 5 through the gap between the cylinder bore 1a and the piston 20 decreases. The valve was designed to have a large opening. Thus, even during the small-volume operation in which the amount of lubricating oil supplied to the crank chamber 5 tends to be insufficient, the lubricating oil is efficiently supplied to the crank chamber 5 through the passage having a large valve opening. be able to . Further, by sharing the air supply passage and the oil supply passage, the structure of the compressor C can be simplified.

(Second embodiment)

The compressor C of the second embodiment is obtained by changing the configuration of the unit 40 in the first embodiment. It has the same configuration as the compressor C of the embodiment. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and duplicate description will be omitted.

The unit 70 is attached to the mounting port 22A. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the unit 70 includes a check valve 71 and a substantially bottomed cylindrical unit unit 72 that houses the check valve 71. The check valve 71 includes a substantially cylindrical casing 73 and a disk 74. The casing 73 is provided with an entry-side cylindrical portion 73A as a cylindrical portion formed to have a smaller diameter than the upper portion, from the middle to the lower part in the axial direction of the casing 73. ing. A valve chamber 73B is formed in a portion of the casing 73 not having the small diameter (above the inlet cylindrical portion 73A) by covering the upper end portion of the casing 73 with a disk 74. I have. The casing 73 has a valve outlet 73C communicating the valve chamber 73B with the outer peripheral side of the casing 73. A step 73D is formed in a portion of the casing 73 between the valve chamber 73B and the inlet cylindrical portion 73A. A communication hole 74A is formed in the disk 74 so that the outside and the inside of the valve chamber 73B can communicate with each other. A valve body 75 is housed in the valve chamber 73B so as to be able to reciprocate in the axial direction of the casing 73. The valve body 75 is urged toward the inlet cylindrical portion 73A by the valve closing panel 76.

The valve body 7.5 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. When the valve body 75 is pressed against the stepped portion 73D by the valve closing panel 76, it closes the passage between the valve chamber 73B and the inlet cylindrical portion 73A. (See Figure 6). In the check valve 71 as well, similarly to the check valve 41 in the first embodiment, the urging force to the valve element 75 due to the refrigerant pressure on the upstream side of the check valve 71 and the check valve 7 Due to the balance between the urging force of the valve body 75 due to the refrigerant pressure on the downstream side of 1 and the urging force of the valve closing panel 76, the downstream side (external refrigerant The backflow of the refrigerant from the circuit 50 side) to the upstream side (discharge chamber 22 side) is regulated, and the flow starts.

The unit case 72 has a separation chamber 72A formed therein, and a cylindrical projecting wall 72B extends above the separation chamber 72A. An insertion hole 72C is formed above the separation chamber 72A, and a check valve 71 is mounted in the insertion hole 72C. The opening at the upper end of the protruding wall 72B functions as a discharge port 72H for discharging the refrigerant. 5 and 6, a mechanism for connecting and fixing the discharge port 72H and the flow pipe 22B is omitted for convenience.

入 The inlet side cylindrical portion 73 A of the check valve 71 is press-fitted and fixed in the inlet hole 72 C, and is arranged so that the lower end opening of the inlet side cylindrical portion 73 A reaches near the bottom of the separation chamber 72 A. Have been. In the unit case 72, an inlet 72D for introducing the refrigerant in the discharge chamber 22 into the separation chamber 72A is formed. The inlet 72D and the discharge chamber 22 are connected by an inlet passage 72E. The inlet 72D is formed along the circumferential direction of the unit case 72 so that the refrigerant introduced into the separation chamber 72A swirls inside the separation chamber 72A. Since the inlet cylindrical portion 73A is disposed in the separation chamber 72A, the coolant introduced into the separation chamber 72A from the inlet 72D is actually supplied to the separation chamber 72A. Swivel the gap between the peripheral surface of 2 A and the outer peripheral surface of the entry cylindrical part 73 · A. By this swirling, the lubricating oil mixed with the refrigerant is centrifugally separated and adheres to the peripheral surface of the separation chamber 72A.

Further, an inclined recess 72 F is provided at the bottom of the separation chamber 72 A, and the lubricating oil attached to the peripheral surface of the separation chamber 72 A and drooping is formed by the inclined recess 72 F. It is easy to gather at the innermost part of the building. A discharge passage 72 G for discharging the lubricating oil out of the unit 70 is formed in the innermost portion of the inclined recess 72 F, and the lubricating oil is discharged through the discharge passage 72 G and the communication passage. 28 and the control valve 30 to the crankcase 5 as a low pressure area. Is to be entered. The lower part of the unit case 72 and the inlet cylindrical part 73 A constitute an oil separator for separating mist-like lubricating oil mixed with the refrigerant. In this case, the discharge passage 72 G, the communication passage 28 and the control valve 30 function as an oil supply passage for supplying the lubricating oil separated from the oil separator to the crank chamber 5. In addition, the inlet passage 72 E, inlet 72 D, separation chamber 72 A, and discharge passage 72 G of the unit 70 serve as an air supply passage for supplying the refrigerant in the discharge chamber 22 to the crank chamber 5 side. Functioning as a part.

Also, a discharge path for connecting the discharge chamber 22 and the external refrigerant circuit 50 is formed by the mounting port 22A, the unit 70, and the flow pipe 22B from the cylinder pore 1a to the discharge chamber 22. The discharged refrigerant is introduced into the separation chamber 72A via the introduction passage 72E and the introduction port 72D. The mixture of the refrigerant and the lubricating oil swirls in the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the separation chamber 72A and the outer peripheral surface of the inlet cylindrical portion 73A of the check valve 71. Due to this swirling, the lubricating oil is centrifuged, drawn into the discharge passage 72G by the inclined recess 72F, and introduced into the crank chamber 5 via the communication passage 28 and the control valve 30.

The refrigerant separated from the lubricating oil tries to enter the valve chamber 73B via the inner peripheral side of the inlet cylindrical portion 73A. At this time, the refrigerant pushes up the valve body 75, passes through a gap formed between the bottom of the valve body 75 and the stepped portion 73D, enters the valve chamber 73B, and the valve outlet 7 After passing through 3C and reaching the outside of the valve chamber 73B, it enters the external refrigerant circuit 50 via the circulation pipe 22B to perform a heat exchange action.

Refrigerant in which the urging force on the valve element 75 due to the refrigerant pressure transmitted from the upstream side of the check valve 71 through the inside of the inlet cylindrical portion 73A is transmitted from the downstream side through the communication hole 74A. Valve urging force due to pressure and valve closing panel 4 When it becomes smaller than the sum of the biasing force by 6, the valve body 75 shuts off the space between the valve chamber 73B and the inlet cylindrical portion 73A. That is, the check valve 71 prevents the backflow of the refrigerant from the downstream side (the external refrigerant circuit 50 side) to the upstream side (the discharge chamber 22 side).

In the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects corresponding to the above (1) to (6), (11), (13), and (14).

(15) The swirling operation for separating the refrigerant and the lubricating oil was performed using the inlet-side cylindrical portion 73A integrally formed with the casing 73. That is, a part of the check valve 71 was used for the turning operation. Therefore, cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

Embodiments are not limited to the above, and may be, for example, in the following modes.

〇 The unit 40 (or 70) may be installed so as to fit inside the housing 4 instead of protruding toward the outside of the housing 4.

〇 The unit 40 (or 70) may be provided in the discharge chamber 22. That is, the unit 40 (or 70) may be assembled to the rear housing 4 before joining the rear housing 4 to the valve forming body 3 side so that the housing 40 cannot be attached or detached after the housing is completed. Conversely, the rear housing 4 may be assembled with the cylinder hook 1, the front housing 2, and the valve body 3 to form a housing of the compressor C, and then retrofitted from outside the housing. When the retrofitting is possible, the maintainability is improved.

潤滑 The lubricating oil separated from the refrigerant may be supplied to the suction chamber 21, the suction inlet 21 A or the circulation pipe 21 B as a low-pressure region. In this case, the upstream portion of the communication path 28 may be connected to the discharge chamber 22. Inhalation chamber 2 1, The lubricating oil supplied to the suction port 21A or the distribution pipe 21B is sucked into the cylinder bore 1a together with the refrigerant by the reciprocating motion of the biston 20 to lubricate the inside of the cylinder pore 1a. Then, a part of the lubricating oil leaks to the crank chamber 5 side through a gap between the cylinder bore 1a and the biston 20 to lubricate a sliding portion of a mechanism in the crank chamber 5.

潤滑 The lubricating oil separated from the refrigerant may be directly supplied to the crankcase 5 without passing through the control valve 30. In this case, the amount of lubricating oil for lubricating the sliding portion of the mechanism in the crank chamber 5 increases, and the lubricating efficiency improves, as compared with the case where oil is supplied via the control valve 30.

油 The oil supply passage and the air supply passage may not be shared and may be provided separately.

〇 The inclined recess 42D (or 72F) may not be provided.

が The case 42 (or the unit case 72) is made separate from the rear housing 4, but it may be integrated. That is, the case 42 (or the unit case 72) may be formed integrally with the rear housing 4. Even in this case, if the check valve 41 (or 71) can be assembled into the case 42 (or the unit case 72) from the outside of the rear housing 4, assemblability and maintenance can be achieved. Can be prevented from deteriorating.

〇 The check valve 71 and the oil separator may be provided separately in the unit case 72 without using common parts. For example, the inlet cylindrical portion 73A is separated from the casing 73, and the inlet cylindrical portion 73A is fixed to the insertion hole 72C separately from the check valve 71.

〇 The check valve 41 (or 71) and the oil separator do not have to be integrated with the unit 40 (or 70).

を Turn the compressor C so that the cam plate (swash plate 12) Instead of a rotating configuration, a type in which the cam plate is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the drive shaft and swings, for example, a swinging (Pipple) compressor may be used.

ヒ The hinge mechanism 13 includes a first arm provided on the swash plate 12, a second arm provided on the lug plate 11, a guide hole provided on one of the first and second arms. The vehicle may further include a mounting hole provided in the other arm, and a pin penetrating the mounting hole and having a protruding portion inserted into the guide hole.

The control valve 30 may not be an external control type controlled by an external device such as the control computer or the drive circuit, but may be an internal control type that performs completely autonomous control.

圧縮 The compressor C may be a fixed capacity type in which the stroke of the piston 20 cannot be changed. '

オイル The oil separator may be provided downstream of the check valve 41. In that case, it is desirable to provide an opening / closing means in the oil supply passage.

〇 The check valve and the oil separator may be separate units. In this case, since each unit is separate, the degree of freedom of arrangement of each unit increases.

〇 The check valve includes a substantially cylindrical casing and a valve body having a substantially circular cross section, and the valve body is housed in the casing so as to reciprocate in the axial direction of the casing, and is provided on one of upper and lower sides of the casing. A coolant inlet is provided on the other side, and a coolant outlet is provided on the other side. A groove extending in an axial direction of the valve body is formed on an outer periphery of the valve body, and a coolant that has entered the casing from the coolant inlet through the groove has the coolant outlet. May be reached. In this case, since there is no need to provide a coolant outlet on the peripheral surface of the casing, it is possible to configure the casing so that the coolant and the lubricating oil swirl around the outer peripheral side of the casing. As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in the compressor, it is possible to prevent the backflow of the refrigerant from the external refrigerant circuit to the discharge chamber and to suppress the discharge of the lubricating oil to the external refrigerant circuit.

Claims

1. Inside the housing, there is provided a discharge chamber through which the refrigerant discharged from the compression chamber passes, and a suction chamber through which the refrigerant sucked into the compression chamber passes, and the discharge chamber and the external refrigerant circuit are connected by a discharge path. A compressor that connects and connects the suction chamber and the external refrigerant circuit through a suction path, and circulates the refrigerant between the compressor and the external refrigerant circuit.

A check valve for preventing the refrigerant from flowing back from the external refrigerant circuit to the discharge chamber in the discharge chamber or the discharge path; and an oil separator for separating mist-like lubricating oil mixed with the refrigerant. An oil supply passage through which the oil separator introduces the separated lubricating oil into a low pressure region.

A compressor characterized by the above-mentioned.

2. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein the oil separator is disposed upstream of the check valve.

3. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein the check valve and the oil separator are integrated with a unit.

4. The unit is composed of the check valve and a substantially cylindrical case that houses the check valve, and the case includes a refrigerant in which an outer peripheral surface of the check valve and an inner surface of the case are disposed. 4. The compressor according to claim 3, wherein an inlet is provided to be introduced into the case so as to swirl between the lubricating oil, and a discharge outlet for the refrigerant separated from the lubricating oil and passing through the check valve.

5. The unit includes the check valve and a cylindrical portion formed on the inlet side of the check valve, and a mist of lubricating oil mixed with refrigerant swirls around the cylindrical portion. 4. The compressor according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerant separated from the lubricating oil is introduced into the check valve after the centrifugal separation.

6. The check valve includes a substantially cylindrical casing and a valve element having a substantially circular cross section, and the valve element is reciprocated in the casing in the axial direction of the casing. The casing is provided so that a refrigerant inlet is provided at one of upper and lower sides of the casing, and a refrigerant outlet is provided at the other. A groove extending in an axial direction of the valve body is formed on an outer periphery of the valve body. 5. The compressor according to claim 4, wherein the refrigerant that has entered reaches the refrigerant outlet via the groove.

7. The compressor comprises: a crank chamber formed in the housing; a drive shaft rotatably supported by the crank chamber; and a rotary shaft driven by the drive shaft and having an inclination angle with respect to the drive shaft. A swash plate variably supported, a piston operatively connected to the swash plate, and a piston bore for reciprocatingly accommodating the piston and forming the compression chamber with the piston. A variable displacement compressor comprising: a bleed passage communicating the suction chamber and the crank chamber; and a control valve that controls an internal pressure of the crank chamber to change a stroke of the biston. The compressor according to any one of 1 to 6.

8. The compressor according to claim 7, wherein the low pressure region is the crank chamber, and the lubricating oil separated from the oil separator is supplied to the crank chamber via the oil supply passage.

9. The control valve adjusts the opening degree of the oil supply passage, supplies the lubricating oil separated by the oil separator to the crank chamber, and changes the pressure of the crank chamber to reduce the stroke of the piston. The compressor according to claim 7, wherein the compressor is changed.