Rotary compressor with integrally connected, diametrically aligned vanes
United States Patent n91 Komiya et al.  
 [ 1 Apr. 15, 1975 l l ROTARY COMPRESSOR WITH INTEGRALLY CONNECTED. DIAMETRICALLY ALIGNED VANES [76] Inventors: Sanpei Komiya. l745-l Ohaza Shimo-koizumi. Ohizumi-muchi; &#39;lukeo Salta. l926-3 Ohaza Shlnozuka, Ohru-maehl. both oi Ohra-gun. Gumma-ken. Japan [22] Filed: Feb. 4, i974 [2i] Appl. No.: 439.281  
 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 16. i973 Japan 4848372 Mar. l. i973 Japan 48-23687 May 22. I973 Japan 48-59469 [52] US. Cl. 318/76; 418/77; 4l8/88;  
 [51] Int. Cl...... F0lc 21/04; F04c 29/02; F0lc 1/00 [58] Field of Search 4l8/76, 77, 88, 148, I50, 418/255. 97, 99, 9i  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I07 I .145 8/1913 Durlington 4l8/255 l.78l.073 ll/l930 Nielsen 418/255 l,952.834 3/1934 Beidlcr et al. 418/255 2.278.740 4/l942 Roesslcr 4l8/l50 2.463.360 Dawson 4l8/l48 2.585.406 2/l952 Reynolds 8/255 3.480.204 ll/l969 Harlin 4l8/99 3.499.600 3ll970 McGrcgor 4l8/255 Primary Examiner-John J. Vrablik I Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Mason. Fcnwick &amp; Lawrence 571 7 ABSTRACT In a compressor of a movable vane type comprising a cylinder, a hollow rotor ,eccentrically positioned within the cylinders bore and arranged so as to be always inscribed with the cylinder bore surface on a fixed inscribing line and movable vane means radially positioned in the rotor so as to be always slidably contacted with the cylinder bore surface, said movable vane means comprises one vane of plate shape diametrally passed through and slidably supported by the rotor, said cylinder bore is defined by combination of an arc portion with one of the specified peripheral curve I portions logically derived or only by the specified closed curve logically derived so that said vane. during rotation of the rotor. is always slidably contacted at its outer ends with the cylinder bore surface without being radially reciprocated; and oil reservoirs communicating to a lubricating system provided within central recesses on valve and side plates forming ends of the cylinder bore by end portions of vane slots formed on the rotor at diamctrally opposite side so as to suffi ciently lubricate all parts in the cylinder bore.  
 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 1 SIHTS SHEET 2 PATENTEDAPR 1 5 ms SHEET 3 i ROTARY COMPRESSOR WITH INTEGRALLY CONNECTED. DIAMETRICALLY ALIGNED VANES The subject invention is directed to a rotary compressor having a one-piece vane mounted in a cylinder having a bore of any one of known cross-sectional shapes specially devised for such one-piece vanes. A hollow rotor is eccentrically located within the cylinder bore and includes two diametrically opposed slots for slid ably receiving the integral vane. A valve plate including outlet valves and a side plate are respcctivaly located on opposite ends ofthc rotor and an oil pump for circulating lubricating oil is also provided in the housing of the compressor.  
  Such a compressor. if its rotor is reversely rotated. can be directly used as a vacuum pump as it is. There fore a compressorT in the description ofthe invention and the appended claims comprehends a vacuum pump.  
  in the conventional compressor with the one-piece vane mentioned above. lubrication of all parts within the cylinder bore is effected solely by lubricating oil jetted into the cylinder bore or on the ends of the rotor through oil ports or passages. The lubricating oil is trapped and entrained by a small space formed between the outer end of each vane and a vane slot formed in the rotor when said outer end arrives at or near its inner extent&#39;of movement. in such a lubricating system. the lubricant does not rcach&#39;all&#39;parts in adequate quantities when the rotor is rotated at higher speeds in the range of 4.000 6.000 r.p.m. as in automobile. air conditioner compressors which are subjected to a wide range of rotational speeds.  
  Therefore. a first object of the invention is to provide a rotary compressor having a unitary vane and new and improved lubrication means.  
  Another problem with prior known compressors using solid rotors arises from the necessity of having closely and smoothly slidable contact between the vane and the vane slot. it is costly and difficult to precisely finish the required slot in the solid rotor and machining of the slot having the exact same length as the breadth ofthe vane is also difficult to accomplish and expensive in cost.  
  A second object of the invention is to provide compressor means not requiring difficult and expensive machining for formation.  
  in order to achieve the first and second objects, the preferred embodiment of the invention is directed to a rotary compressor with a vane of one piece including a cylinder having a bore of any one of known crosssectional shapes specially designed for such a one-piece vane. A hollow rotor is eccentrically located within the cylinder bore so as to be rotated on a fixed axis and is provided with two dimatricaily opposed slots for slidably receiving the vane which extends through the rotor. Valve and slide plates are located on opposite ends of the rotor respectively and an oil pump is provided for circulating oil in the compressor. The rotor is provided with an internal cavity of perfectly circular crosssectional shape. said slots on the rotor are formed over the entire axial length of the rotor so as to open into said cavity except for end portions of the slots extending on ends of the rotor. The valve and side plates are provided with central cylindrical recesses for receiving the ends of the rotor and oil openings open into the central cylindrical recesses adjacent the outer peripheral wall of the opening to define oil reservoirs within the central recesses. The end of the slots pass through said reservoirs during each rotation of the rotor.  
  in order to more clearly understand the invention. its preferable embodiment is now described in more detail with reference to accompanying drawings in which:  
  FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rotary compressor according to the invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. I.  
  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FK. l:  
 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rotor; and  
  FIG. 5 is a perspective view ofan assembly of the rotor. the vane and the valve plate showing the important features of the invention with a part of the valve plate broken off for clarity.  
  In FIGS. 1. 2 and 3. 1 indicates a cylinder. 3 a front cylinder head. 5 a rear cylinder head. 7 a valve plate. 9 a drive shaft. ll movable vane means. 13 a side plate. 15 a seal assembly. 17 an oil pump. 19 a connector for sucking gas (e.g.. a refrigerating medium) into the compressor (a discharge connector is not shown). 21 and 21&#39; indicate low pressure gas channels respectively. 23 indicates a high pressure gas channel. 25 an oil pan. 27 and 27 indicate outlet valves and 29 indicates a hollow rotor bodily formed with the drive shaft 9. Further 43, 45 and 47 indicate oil channels leading from the oil pan 25 to the oil pump 17 openings 49. 5t and 53 are oil channels leading from the oil pump 17 to contacting surfaces between the cylinder bore and the rotor 29 and to the seal assembly 15. Member 55 indicates a return oil channel leading from the seal assembly 15 to the oil pan 25.  
  As shown in H68. 3 and 4, the hollow rotor 29 has a cavity 39 a cross-sectional shape of which is circular. The cavity 39 is formed by a suitable tool through a driving aperture 65 provided on the drive shaft 9 for a drive pin 63 of the oil pump 17 (see FIG. 1). The hoilow rotor 39 is provided with two diametrically opposed vane slots 35 which extend over the entire axial length of the rotor and open into the cavity 39 except for the end wall portions of the slots. Thus. the vane slots 35 may be very precisely finished by a broach simultaneously passing through them. As shown in FIG. I, the valve and side plates 7 and 13 are respectively provided with central recesses 41 and 41 of cylindrical shape for receiving the ends of the rotor 29 and oil openings 61 and 61 for supplying the lubricating oil by the oil pump 17 through the oil channels 51 and 53 into oil reservoirs 57 and 57&#39; as described later on with reference to FIG. 5. The oil openings 61 and 61&#39; are preferably located near the fixed inscribing line. but may be located in any position other than said line provided that said oil openings are connected to any one of the oil channels. The outer edge of vane it includes two elongated seal apexes 31 of small mass which extend axially of the cylinder and contact the surface 10 of the cylinder bore. Each apex 31 is telescopically seated in each slot 37 formed axially of the cylinder on the outer ends of the vane and urged toward the cylinder bore surface in by a relatively weak spring 33 located on the bottom of each slot 37 and also compensating wear of the seal apex. Alternatively. said seal apexes may be urged by hydraulic means (not shown) in lieu ofsprings Referring to FIG. 5. there is shown. in more detail. the important feature according to the invention. ln order to clarify this figure. the side plate I3 is omitted from FIG. 5&#39;. however. its construction is substantially the same as that of the valve plate 7.  
  When one end ofthe rotor is assembled in the central recess 41. it will be seen that small spaces. i.c.. two dia metrically opposed oil reservoirs 57 (only one of them is shown) are defined within the central recess 4 l. adjacent to the peripheral side wall 42 thereof. by the rear end surface l2 ofthe vane and the rear end portions 36 (only one of them is shown) of the slots extending on the rear end of the rotor and not opened into the cavity 39.  
  when the rotor is rotated. each reservoir 57 is displaced along the peripheral side wall 42 and fed with the lubricating oil through the oil opening 6i provided on the valve plate 7. when said oil opening opens into and communicates with the oil reservoir 57. during each rotation of the rotor as the reservoir 57 moves past opening 61. Corresponding reservoirs 57 are provided on the opposite end of the rotor for communication with opening 61&#39; once during each revolution of the rotor.  
  The invention has substantial advantages over the prior known devices in that the oil reservoirs 57 and 57&#39; are rotated with the rotor so that effective lubrication of all parts is achieved. For example. contacting surfaces between the valve and side plates with the ends ofthe rotor. the vane and said plates and the slots in the rotor and said vane. and the slots for the seal apexes 31. as well as contacting surfaces between the rotor and the cylinder bore on the fixed inscribing line and said bore and the outer ends ofthe vane. are all effectively lubricated.  
  Since the hollow rotor has a perfectly circular crosssectional cavity 39. the precise machining of the slots for the vane is very easily completed as compared with the difficult machining required for a solid rotor; moreover. the present invention largely avoids the risk of static and dynamic unbalance of the rotor itself.  
  Moreover. since the slots for the vane are machined over the entire axial length of the rotor. their machining is also easy to accomplish as compared with the conventional slots having the same exact length as the breadth of the vane. i.c.. not extending over the entire axial length of the rotor.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. A rotary compressor comprising. a unitary onepiece vane. a cylinder having a bore. a hollow rotor eccentrically mounted for rotation within said cylinder bore including two diametrically opposed slots. said vane being slidably received in said slots. a valve plate and a side plate respectively mounted on opposite ends of the cylinder adjacent opposite ends of the rotor. an  
 - oil pump for circulating lubricating oil in the compreswardly facing central cylindrical recesses defined by an end wall and a peripheral cylindrical wall which recesses matingly receive the opposite ends of the rotor and oil injection openings connected to conduit means extending from said oil pump and extending into said central recesses adjacent the peripheral walls thereof whereby oil reservoirs are wholly contained within said central recesses. said oil reservoirs being defined by the peripheral wall of the recess. end surface of the vane. and side and bottom walls of said slots so that said reservoirs are placed in communication with said oil injec tion openings once during each revolution of said rotor to effect the supply of oil into the oil reservoirs by the oil pump.  
 2. The invention ofclaim I wherein said hollow internal cavity is of circular cross-sectional shape.  
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