An orbiting piston type fluid displacement apparatus with rotation preventing mechanism

Claim 2

In an orbiting piston type fluid displacement apparatus including a housing (10), a fixed cylinder (26) attached to or integral with said housing (10), an orbiting piston (27) having an end plate (271) from which an annular piston (272) extends, said'cylinder (26) and annular piston (272) interfitting at a radial offset to make a line contact to separate an outlet fluid from the inlet fluid and driving mechanism including a rotatable drive shaft (13) connected to said orbiting piston (27) to drive said orbiting piston (27) in an orbital motion, rotation preventing/thrust bearing means (37) connected to said orbiting piston (27) for preventing the rotation of said orbiting piston (27) and for carrying axial thrust load from said orbital piston (27) during orbital motion so that the line contact moves toward the discharge, characterized in that said rotation preventing/thrust bearing means (37) being comprised of a discrete orbital portion, a discrete fixed portion and bearing elements coupled between said portions, said orbital portion including an orbital annular race (374) placed within an annular groove (274) formed on said end plate (271) on an opposite side from which said annular piston (272) extends and an orbital ring (375) attached to said end plate (271) to cover said race (374), said orbital ring (375) having a plurality of first pockets extending axially toward said orbital race (374), said fixed portion including a fixed annular race (371) placed within an annular groove (113) formed on said housing and a fixed ring (372) attached to said housing to cover said fixed race (371) and facing said orbital ring (375), said fixed ring (372) having a plurality of second pockets extending axially toward said fixed race, said bearing elements (377) each being carried within a generally aligned pair of said first and second pockets and contacting said orbital and fixed races (374, 371) to prevent the rotation of said orbiting scroll (27) by said bearing elements (377) interacting with said orbital and fixed rings and to carry the axial thrust load from said orbiting scroll on said fixed race through said bearing elements (377).

Claim 3

In a scroll type fluid aisp.Lacement apparatus including a housing, a fixed scroll attached to said housing and having a first end plate from which a first wrap extends into said housing, an orbiting scroll having a second end plate from which a second wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to make a plurality of line contacts to define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets and a driving mechanism including a rotatable drive shaft connected to said orbiting scroll to drive said orbiting scroll in an orbital motion, rotation preventing/thrust bearing means connected to said orbiting scroll for p preventing the rotation of said orbiting scroll and for carrying axial thrust load from said orbiting scroll during orbital motion so that the volume of said fluid pockets change, said rotation preventing/ thrust bearing means being comprised of a discrete orbital portion, a discrete fixed portion and bearing elements coupled between said portions, said orbital portion including an orbital annular race placed within an annular groove formed on said second end plate on an opposite side from which said second wrap extends and an orbital ring attched to said second end plate to covered said race, said orbital ring having a plurality of first pockets extending axially toward said orbital race and formed separately from said orbital race, said fixed portion including a fixed annular race placed within an annular groove formed on said housing and a fixed ring attached to said housing to covered said fixed race and facing said orbital ring, said fixed ring having a plurality of second pockets extending axially toward said fixed race and formed separatly from said fixed race, said bearing elements each being carried within a generally aligned pair of said first and second pockets and contacting said orbital and fixed races to prevent the rotation of said orbiting scroll by said bearing elements interacting with said orbital and fixed rings and to carry the axial thrust load from said orbiting scroll on said fixed race through said bearing elements.

Claim 4

In a scroll type fluid aisp.Lacement apparatus including a housing, a fixed scroll attached to said housing and having a first end plate from which a first wrap extends into said housing, an orbiting scroll having a second end plate from which a second wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to make a plurality of line contacts to define at least one pair of sealed off fluid pockets and a driving mechanism including a rotatable drive shaft connected to said orbiting scroll to drive said orbiting scroll in an orbital motion, rotation preventing/thrust bearing means connected to said orbiting scroll for p preventing the rotation of said orbiting scroll and for carrying axial thrust load from said orbiting scroll during orbital motion so that the volume of said fluid pockets change, said rotation preventing/ thrust bearing means being comprised of a discrete orbital portion, a discrete fixed portion and bearing elements coupled between said portions, said orbital portion including an orbital annular race placed within an annular groove formed on said second end plate on an opposite side from which said second wrap extends and an orbital ring attched to said second end plate to covered said race, said orbital ring having a plurality of first pockets extending axially toward said orbital race and formed separately from said orbital race, said fixed portion including a fixed annular race placed within an annular groove formed on said housing and a fixed ring attached to said housing to covered said fixed race and facing said orbital ring, said fixed ring having a plurality of second pockets extending axially toward said fixed race and formed separatly from said fixed race, said bearing elements each being carried within a generally aligned pair of said first and second pockets and contacting said orbital and fixed races to prevent the rotation of said orbiting scroll by said bearing elements interacting with said orbital and fixed rings and to carry the axial thrust load from said orbiting scroll on said fixed race through said bearing elements.

Claim 5

The scroll type fluid displacement apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said orbital ring is attached to the end surface of said second end plate by a plurality of fasteners and said fixed ring is attched to an inner surface of said housing by a plurality of fastners.

Claim 6

The scroll type fluid displacement apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a clearance is maintained between the orbital race and orbital ring, and between the fixed race and the fixed ririg.

Claim 7

The scroll type fluid displacement apparatus as claimed in claim4, wherein said orbital ring has a thick portion and a thin portion, said thick portion being in contact with said end surface of said second end plate and said fasteners attaching said orbital ring penetrating said thick portion, the pockets in said orbital ring extending into the thin portion thereof, and wherein said fixed ring has a thick portion and a thin portion, said thick portion being in contact with said inner surface of said housing, and said fasteners attching said fixed ring penetrating said thick portion the pockets in said fixed ring extending into the thin portion thereof.

Claim 8

The scroll type fluid displacement apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a second annular groove is formed in said end surface of said second end plate, and a second annular groove is formed in said inner surface of said housing, the depth of said second groove in said second end plate defining at least a part of the clearance between said orbital race and orbital ring, and the depth of said second groove in the inner surface of said housing defining at least a part of the clearance between said fixed race and fixed ring.

Claim 9

A scroll type fluid displacement apparatus comprising: a housing having a front end plate; a fixed scroll attched to said housing and having a first end plate from which a first wrap extends into an interior of said housing; an orbiting scroll having a second end plate from hich a second wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to make a plurality of line contacts to define at least a pair of sealed off fluid pockets; A driving mechanism including a rotatable drive shaft connected to said orbiting scroll to drive said orbiting scroll in orbital motion; rotation preventing/thrust bearing means connected to said orbiting scroll for preventing the rotation of said orbiting scroll and for carrying the axial thrust of said orbiting scroll during its orbital motion; and said rotation preventing/thrust bearing means comprising a discrete orbital portion, a discrete fixed portion and bearing elements, said orbital portion including an orbital annular race and an orbital ring both of which are formed separatly, said orbital annular race being placed within an annular groove formed on an end surface of said second end plate on an opposit side from which said second wrap extends, said orbital ring being attached to the end surface of said second end plate to covered said orbital race,a plurality of pockets being formed in said orbital ring in an axial direction toward said orbital race, said fixed portion including fixed annular race and a fixed ring both of which formed separatly, said fixed annular race being placed within an annular groove formed on an inner surface of said housing, said fixed ring being attached to the inner surface of said housing to cobered said fixed race, a plurality of pockets being formed in said fixed ring in an axial direction toward said fixed race, said pockets of said orbital and fixed rings facing one another in generally aligned pairs and having corresponding size,pitch and radial distance, said bearing elements each being carried within one of said generally aligned pairs of pockets and contacting said orbital and fixed races to prevent the rotation of said orbiting scroll by said bearing elements interacting said orbital and fixed rings and to carry the axial thrust load from said orbiting scroll on said fixed race through said bearing elements.

Claim 10

A scroll type fluid displacement apparatus comprising: a housing having a front end plate; a fixed scroll attched to said housing and having a first end plate from which a first wrap extends into an interior of said housing; an orbiting scroll having a second end plate from hich a second wrap extends, said first and second wraps interfitting at an angular and radial offset to make a plurality of line contacts to define at least a pair of sealed off fluid pockets; A driving mechanism including a rotatable drive shaft connected to said orbiting scroll to drive said orbiting scroll in orbital motion; rotation preventing/thrust bearing means connected to said orbiting scroll for preventing the rotation of said orbiting scroll and for carrying the axial thrust of said orbiting scroll during its orbital motion; and said rotation preventing/thrust bearing means comprising a discrete orbital portion, a discrete fixed portion and bearing elements, said orbital portion including an orbital annular race and an orbital ring both of which are formed separatly, said orbital annular race being placed within an annular groove formed on an end surface of said second end plate on an opposit side from which said second wrap extends, said orbital ring being attached to the end surface of said second end plate to covered said orbital race,a plurality of pockets being formed in said orbital ring in an axial direction toward said orbital race, said fixed portion including fixed annular race and a fixed ring both of which formed separatly, said fixed annular race being placed within an annular groove formed on an inner surface of said housing, said fixed ring being attached to the inner surface of said housing to cobered said fixed race, a plurality of pockets being formed in said fixed ring in an axial direction toward said fixed race, said pockets of said orbital and fixed rings facing one another in generally aligned pairs and having corresponding size,pitch and radial distance, said bearing elements each being carried within one of said generally aligned pairs of pockets and contacting said orbital and fixed races to prevent the rotation of said orbiting scroll by said bearing elements interacting said orbital and fixed rings and to carry the axial thrust load from said orbiting scroll on said fixed race through said bearing elements.