Rotary compressor

Claim 2

A rotary compressor comprising: tightly closed upper and lower casings, said lower casing defining a lubricant reservoir containing a lubricant; a motor provided with a main shaft and firmly mounted in the upper casing; a refrigerant compressing unit actuated by an eccentric fixed to the main shaft; a blade chamber with a blade reciprocating radially therethrough, said blade dividing the compressing unit into high and low pressure sides; a refrigerant tubing comprising a suction line for leading gaseous refrigerant into the refrigerant compressing unit and a discharge line for delivering the refrigerant; a lubricant tubing provided with a heat exchanger and having a first end thereof opened to the lubricant in said lubricant reservoir; and a mechanism for circulating the lubricant, said lubricant circulating mechanism comprising a valve unit including a valve chamber which communicates with said blade chamber, and suction port means connecting the other end of the lubricant tubing with said valve chamber, said valve unit selectively causing lubricant to be introduced from said other end of the lubricant tubing to said valve chamber and to said blade chamber.

Claim 3

The rotary compressor according to claim 1 wherein said motor is an electric motor.

Claim 4

The rotary compressor according to claim 1 wherein said valve unit includes: a first check valve between the blade chamber and the other end of the lubricant tubing for conducting the lubricant from said tubing to said chamber, and a second check valve between the blade chamber and the lubricant reservoir for discharging the lubricant from the chamber to the reservoir.

Claim 5

The rotary compressor according to claim 1 wherein said suction port connects the valve cavity with said other end of the lubricant tubing for introducing the lubricant to the lubricant tubing into said blade chamber through the valve cavity while said blade is advancing outwardly of said blade chamber; and a discharge port connects the valve cavity with the lubricant reservoir for conducting the lubricant in the blade chamber into said reservoir while the blade is receding inwardly of said blade chamber.

Claim 6

The rotary compressor according to claim 4 wherein said lubricant circulating mechanism further comprises: a ball in the valve cavity for closing the suction port except while said blade is advancing; a spring in the valve cavity for urging the ball toward the suction port; and an elastic plate for closing the discharge port except while said blade is receding.

Claim 7

The rotary compressor according to claim 5 wherein said elastic plate is mounted exterior of said valve unit.

Claim 8

A rotary compressor including: a. tightly closed upper and lower casings, said lower casing defining a lubricant reservoir containing lubricant; b. a motor provided with a main shaft and firmly received in the upper casing; c. a refrigerant compressing unit comprising a cylinder disposed below the motor, an eccentric fixed to the main shaft in the cylinder, a rotor having the eccentric fitted therein and contacting the cylindrical inner surface at that portion of the outer periphery of the eccentric which is remotest from the main shaft; d. a lubricant tubing having one end connected to the lower casing so as to communicate with the lubricant reservoir; e. a heat exchanger for cooling the lubricant in the tubing, through which the tubing passes; and f. a mechanism for circulating the lubricant comprising a blade chamber provided in the wall of the cylinder, a blade reciprocating radially of the cylinder through the blade chamber and biased so as to always contact the outer periphery of the rotor, and a lubricant valve unit provided under the blade chamber, said valve unit comprising a valve chamber formed therein, a passage formed between the valve chamber and the blade chamber for mutual communication of the chambers, a suction port provided on the lower casing, said suction port having one end connected to the valve chamber and the other end to the other end of the lubricant tubing, a ball disposed in the valve chamber so as to normally close the suction port by a spring in the valve chamber, a discharge port formed between the valve chamber and the lubricant reservoir, and a plate of elastic material mounted on the lower end of the valve unit so as to normally close the discharge port, wherein, when the blade is moved toward the main shaft by the rotation thereof, suction pressure is generated in the blade chamber for disengagement of the ball from the suction port with the discharge port closed, thereby causing the lubricant in the valve chamber and the cooled lubricant in the tubing to be introduced into the blade chamber through the passage and, when the movement of the blade is reversed by further rotation of the main shaft, compressive pressure is generated in the blade chamber to make the ball close the suction port and the elastic plate forced open, thereby causing the lubricant in the blade chamber to be forced out in the lubricant reservoir through the passage, valve chamber and discharge port.

Claim 9

A rotary compressor including: a. tightly closed upper and lower casings, said lower casing defining a lubricant reservoir containing lubricant; b. a motor provided with a main shaft and firmly received in the upper casing; c. a refrigerant compressing unit comprising a cylinder disposed below the motor, an eccentric fixed to the main shaft in the cylinder, a rotor having the eccentric fitted therein and contacting the cylindrical inner surface at that portion of the outer periphery of the eccentric which is remotest from the main shaft; d. a lubricant tubing having one end connected to the lower casing so as to communicate with the lubricant reservoir; e. a heat exchanger for cooling the lubricant in the tubing, through which the tubing passes; and f. a mechanism for circulating the lubricant comprising a blade chamber provided in the wall of the cylinder, a blade reciprocating radially of the cylinder through the blade chamber and biased so as to always contact the outer periphery of the rotor, and a lubricant valve unit provided under the blade chamber, said valve unit comprising a valve chamber formed therein, a passage formed between the valve chamber and the blade chamber for mutual communication of the chambers, a suction port provided on the lower casing, said suction port having one end connected to the valve chamber and the other end to the other end of the lubricant tubing, a ball disposed in the valve chamber so as to normally close the suction port by a spring in the valve chamber, a discharge port formed between the valve chamber and the lubricant reservoir, and a plate of elastic material mounted on the lower end of the valve unit so as to normally close the discharge port, wherein, when the blade is moved toward the main shaft by the rotation thereof, suction pressure is generated in the blade chamber for disengagement of the ball from the suction port with the discharge port closed, thereby causing the lubricant in the valve chamber and the cooled lubricant in the tubing to be introduced into the blade chamber through the passage and, when the movement of the blade is reversed by further rotation of the main shaft, compressive pressure is generated in the blade chamber to make the ball close the suction port and the elastic plate forced open, thereby causing the lubricant in the blade chamber to be forced out in the lubricant reservoir through the passage, valve chamber and discharge port.

Claim 10

The rotary compressor according to claim 7 wherein said motor is an electric motor.