A vacuum generation system, in particular for applications to hybrid-drive motor vehicles, comprises a vacuum pump (10) arranged to be independently driven by either an internal combustion engine (1 1) or an electric motor (12) depending on the vacuum conditions in utilizing devices (15) and the operating conditions of the internal combustion engine. A pump for use in such a system and a method of vacuum generation by using the system are also provided.

A vacuum generation system, in particular for applications to hybrid-drive motor vehicles, comprises a vacuum pump (10) arranged to be independently driven by either an internal combustion engine (1 1) or an electric motor (12) depending on the vacuum conditions in utilizing devices (15) and the operating conditions of the internal combustion engine. A pump for use in such a system and a method of vacuum generation by using the system are also provided.

A scroll compressor is disclosed, which comprises an auxiliary discharge path capable of sufficiently making sure of a discharge area at an initial discharge stage. The compressor comprises a fixed scroll including a fixed end plate portion and a fixed wrap, and an orbiting scroll including an orbiting end plate portion and an orbiting wrap, wherein a discharge hole is formed in the fixed end plate portion, and an auxiliary discharge path for connecting a side of the orbiting wrap with a bottom surface of the orbiting wrap is provided to be communicated with the discharge hole, whereby a compressed refrigerant may be discharged through the auxiliary discharge path.

A scroll compressor is disclosed, which comprises an auxiliary discharge path capable of sufficiently making sure of a discharge area at an initial discharge stage. The compressor comprises a fixed scroll including a fixed end plate portion and a fixed wrap, and an orbiting scroll including an orbiting end plate portion and an orbiting wrap, wherein a discharge hole is formed in the fixed end plate portion, and an auxiliary discharge path for connecting a side of the orbiting wrap with a bottom surface of the orbiting wrap is provided to be communicated with the discharge hole, whereby a compressed refrigerant may be discharged through the auxiliary discharge path.

An apparatus comprising a stator and a rotor which are arranged inside a housing extending along a common longitudinal axis, wherein the stator encloses the rotor in a radial direction. A space is formed between an inside of a wall of the housing and an outside of a wall of the stator. The housing has a first housing element and a second housing element that are arranged with their contact surfaces aligned with each other thus sealing the housing. Thereby, a sealing element is arranged between the contact surfaces of the housing elements. The sealing element has the shape of an annular disc with a circumferential form and at least one sealing area. In the circumferential direction, the form corresponds to a contour of the contact surfaces. The sealing area is designed to at least partially enclose the space.

An apparatus comprising a stator and a rotor which are arranged inside a housing extending along a common longitudinal axis, wherein the stator encloses the rotor in a radial direction. A space is formed between an inside of a wall of the housing and an outside of a wall of the stator. The housing has a first housing element and a second housing element that are arranged with their contact surfaces aligned with each other thus sealing the housing. Thereby, a sealing element is arranged between the contact surfaces of the housing elements. The sealing element has the shape of an annular disc with a circumferential form and at least one sealing area. In the circumferential direction, the form corresponds to a contour of the contact surfaces. The sealing area is designed to at least partially enclose the space.

A compressor includes a casing, an electric motor housed in an internal space of the casing, a drive shaft rotated by the electric motor, and a compression mechanism driven by the drive shaft discharge compressed refrigerant to the internal space. The internal space includes a first and second spaces formed near axial ends of the electric motor. The electric motor includes a stator and a rotating member. The stator is fixed to the casing. The rotating member includes a rotor rotatably inserted into the stator. The electric motor has a refrigerant flow path through which the first and second spaces communicate with each other. The refrigerant flow path includes a first flow path into which the refrigerant in the first space or the second space flows, and a rotor flow path extending axially across the rotor and connected to an outflow end of the first flow path.

The height measured from the bottom surfaces of support legs is set to be 2.5 or more times as great as the outer diameter of the compressor body, the height of the center of gravity measured from the bottom surfaces of the support legs to the center of gravity is set to be ½ or less the overall height, and the support legs are provided in number of four, based on the fulfillment of Rc/cos θ<Rb<L. Here Rb is the support point radius of the compressor body, Rc is the outer radius of the compressor body, L is the distance from a longitudinal central axis of the compressor body to a longitudinal central axis of an accumulator, and θ is an angle half the angle formed between the adjacent support legs about the central axis.

The height measured from the bottom surfaces of support legs is set to be 2.5 or more times as great as the outer diameter of the compressor body, the height of the center of gravity measured from the bottom surfaces of the support legs to the center of gravity is set to be ½ or less the overall height, and the support legs are provided in number of four, based on the fulfillment of Rc/cos θ<Rb<L. Here Rb is the support point radius of the compressor body, Rc is the outer radius of the compressor body, L is the distance from a longitudinal central axis of the compressor body to a longitudinal central axis of an accumulator, and θ is an angle half the angle formed between the adjacent support legs about the central axis.

A compressor may include a shell, a compression mechanism, a bearing housing, a shroud, a stator, and a rotor. The compression mechanism includes a scroll member that is attached to the shell. The shroud is rotatably fixed relative to the shell and attached to the bearing housing. The stator is fixed relative to the shell. The shroud may have an annular body including an inner surface defining a center shroud passage. The stator may have an outer surface defining a stator passage. An outer surface of the rotor and an inner surface of the stator may be spaced apart and define a discharge gap in fluid communication with the center shroud passage and the stator passage. A continuous passage may extend between a top surface of the scroll member and a bottom surface of the shroud and may be in fluid communication with the shroud passage.