Reversible rotary compressor for refrigerators

Claim 2

A reversible rotary compressor, for use in refrigerators, of the type which has a compressing mechanism, including: a front head; a rear head; a cylinder disposed between the front and rear heads; a rotor disposed eccentrically in said cylinder to define a compression chamber between the rotor and the cylinder longitudinally divided by adjacency of the cylinder and rotor, at a pressure transition point, into a low pressure side and a high pressure side; a motor driving the rotor for sucking refrigerant gas into and discharging refrigerant gas from the compression chamber; said compressor comprising: a rotary member in frictional engagement with the rotor for rotation through a predetermined limited angle with the rotor, irrespective of the angular sense of rotation of the rotor; a first suction conduit mechanism communicated with the compression chamber angularly to one side of the pressure transition point; a first discharge conduit mechanism communicated with the compression chamber angularly to the opposite side of the pressure transition point; a second suction conduit mechanism communicated with the compression chamber angularly to said opposite side of the pressure transition point; a second discharge conduit mechanism communicated with the compression chamber angularly to said one side of the pressure transition point; and means responsive to the direction of rotation of said rotary member for closing both first conduit mechanisms and opening both said second conduit mechanisms, alternately, to respectively provide for normal and reverse rotation operation of the compressor.

Claim 3

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 1 further comprising: a first gas passage tube; a second gas passage tube; means alternately communicating the first discharge and second suction conduit mechanisms with the first gas passage tube; and means alternately communicating the second suction and first discharge conduit mechanisms with the second gas passage tube.

Claim 4

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 2 wherein the discharge conduit mechanisms include: a first discharge port provided through the cylinder angularly to one side of the pressure transition point; and a first discharge valve for opening and closing the first discharge port; a second discharge port provided through the cylinder angularly to the opposite side of the pressure transition point; and a second discharge valve for opening and closing the second discharge port; said rotary member being constituted by a disc-shaped rotary guide plate disposed in said cylinder and having means defining an opening axially therethrough for alternately forming a part of both of said suction conduit mechanisms, so that as said rotary guide plate is angularly shifted between the extremes of said predetermined limited angle, the axial opening is alternately communicated with the first compression chamber angularly clockwise from the pressure transition point and angularly counterclockwise from the pressure transition point, in both instances on the low pressure side of the pressure transition point.

Claim 5

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 3 wherein said rotary guide plate has means defining an arcuate groove formed in the outer periphery thereof and extending arcuately an amount corresponding to said predetermined limited angle, one of said cylinder and said rear head having pin means mounted thereon and received in said groove for limiting angular movement of said rotary guide plate to said predetermined, limited angle.

Claim 6

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 2, wherein the discharge conduit mechanisms include: a first discharge port provided through the cylinder angularly to one side of the pressure transition point; and a first discharge valve for opening and closing the first discharge port; a second discharge port provided through the cylinder angularly to the opposite side of the pressure transition point; and a second discharge valve for opening and closing the second discharge port; a secOnd suction port provided radially through the cylinder on the same side of the pressure transition point as the first discharge port; a first suction port provided radially through the cylinder on the same side of the pressure transition point as the second discharge port; the two discharge ports opening radially outwardly at a plane axially spaced from that of the two suction ports; the first suction port and the second discharge port opening in a common plane parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary member; the second suction port and the first discharge port opening in another common plane parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary member; the rotary member being constituted by a ring-shaped rotary guide plate journalled in the cylinder for rotation around the rotor; said guide plate having means defining: one suction opening radially therethrough and two discharge openings radially therethrough, one disposed angularly to each side of the one suction opening; the relative spacing, angularly of said axis of rotation, of said one suction opening and each of said two discharge openings, being equal to that of said first and second suction ports and to that of said first and second discharge ports; the relative spacing, axially of said axis of rotation, of said one suction opening and said two discharge openings being equal to that of said the two discharge ports and the two suction ports, the rotary guide plate being rotated between the extremes thereof in dependence upon the direction of rotation of the rotor to align the respective ports and openings.

Claim 7

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 5 wherein said rotary guide plate has means defining an arcuate groove formed in the outer periphery thereof and extending arcuately an amount corresponding to said predetermined limited angle, one of said cylinder and said rear head having pin means mounted thereon and received in said groove for limiting angular movement of said rotary guide plate to said predetermined, limited angle.

Claim 8

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 2, wherein the discharge conduit mechanisms include: a first discharge port provided through the cylinder angularly to one side of the pressure transition point; and a first discharge valve for opening and closing the first discharge port; a second discharge port provided through the cylinder angularly to the opposite side of the pressure transition point; and a second discharge valve for opening and closing the second discharge port; a second suction port provided radially through the cylinder on the same side of the pressure transition point as the first discharge port; a first suction port provided radially through the cylinder on the same side of the pressure transition point as the second discharge port; the two discharge ports opening radially outwardly at a plane axially spaced from that of the two suction ports; the first suction port and the second discharge port opening in a common plane parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary member; the second suction port and the first discharge port opening in another common plane parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary member; the rotary member being constituted by a ring-shaped rotary guide plate journalled in the cylinder for rotation around the rotor; said guide plate having means defining: one discharge opening radially therethrough and two suction openings radially therethrough, one disposed angularly to each side of the one discharge opening; the relative spacing, angularly of said axis of rotation, of said one discharge opening and each of said two suction openings, being equal to that of said first and second discharge ports and to that of said first and second suction ports; the relative spacing, axially of said axis of rotation, of said one discharge opening and said two suction openings being equal to that of said the two discharge ports and the two suction ports, the rotary guide plate beIng rotated between the extremes thereof in dependence upon the direction of rotation of the rotor to align the respective ports and openings.

Claim 9

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 7 wherein said rotary guide plate has means defining an arcuate groove formed in the outer periphery thereof and extending arcuately an amount corresponding to said predetermined limited angle, one of said cylinder and said rear head having pin means mounted thereon and received in said groove for limiting angular movement of said rotary guide plate to said predetermined, limited angle.

Claim 10

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 2 further including: means directly connecting said electric motor and said rotor; a housing; said electric motor, rotor and directly connecting means being sealed within said housing; the first gas passage to be sealingly communicating alternately with the two respective conduit mechanisms via the cavity defined within said housing outside said electric motor, rotor and directly connecting means in dependence upon the direction of rotation of said rotor; the second gas passage tube directly sealing communicating alternatively with the other two respective conduit mechanisms in sealed isolation from said cavity in dependence upon the direction of rotation of said rotor;

Claim 11

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 9 wherein the two discharge conduit mechanisms comprise two discharge ports provided through the cylinder on respective sides of the pressure transition point; means sealingly dividing the interior of the rear head into two chambers; one of the chambers and a respective one of said discharge ports being communicated with said first gas passage tube; and the other of said discharge ports, the other of said chambers, said cavity being communicated with the second gas passage tube, whereby the compressed gas from the high pressure side of the pressure transition line is expanded and silenced in a respective one of said chambers, depending on the direction of rotation of the rotor, before being discharged through a respective one of the discharge ports through the respective gas passage tube.

Claim 12

The reversible rotary compressor of claim 10, wherein the electric motor includes a rotor having a plurality of radial blades; an interior gas passage tube having one end disposed adjacent said blades and the other end in communication with the first-mentioned of said chambers.