BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR A RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR

Abstract

The arrangement of the present invention is applied to a compressor which comprises a bearing hub housing a crankshaft and presenting at least a first and a second bearing portion, spaced apart by a circumferential recess. The crankshaft presents at least a first and a second support portion, spaced apart by a circumferential recess, which is offset from the circumferential recess of the bearing hub. At least one of the bearing portions and support portions has an axial extension superior to that required for radially bearing the crankshaft, the first and second bearing portions defining, with the first and second support portions, respectively, a first and a second radial bearing regions having the axial extensions required for a radial bearing for the crankshaft, presenting lower loss by viscous friction.

Claims

1. A bearing arrangement for a reciprocating refrigeration compressor of the type which includes a crankcase defining a bearing hub, in which is housed a crankshaft, the crankshaft having an axial length extending along a length of the bearing hub, the crankshaft incorporating an eccentric end portion, projecting outwardly from a first end of the bearing hub, and a free end portion, projecting outwardly from a second end of the bearing hub, said arrangement being characterized in that the bearing hub comprises a first and a second bearing portion, spaced apart by a first circumferential recess having a first length defined by the axial length of the crankshaft, the first bearing portion is provided with at least one relief circumferential recess, which is at least partially confronting with a respective axial extension of the first bearing portion, defining a second axial extension, the crankshaft comprising a first and a second support portion, spaced apart by a second circumferential recess having a second length defined by the axial length of the crankshaft axially offset in relation to the first circumferential recess of the bearing hub, wherein, the first circumferential recess and second circumferential recess are juxtaposed in order to define a cooperative recess having a third length defined by the axial length of the crankshaft, the cooperative recess having a greater length than the individual lengths of either the first length or the second length of respective first circumferential recess and second circumferential recess.

2. The bearing arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the relief circumferential recess is provided in a median region of the first support portion of the crankshaft and confronting with a respective axial extension of the first bearing portion, adjacent to the circumferential recess of the bearing hub.

3. The bearing arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the first and second bearing regions present an axial extension limited to the minimum value required for a radial bearing for the crankshaft, presenting lower loss by viscous friction.

4. The bearing arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the bearing hub has its circumferential recess defined by at least two recess portions, which are separated apart by a third bearing portion radially confronting with the first support portion and defining, with the latter, a third radial bearing region, disposed between the first and the second radial bearing regions.

5. The bearing arrangement, as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the first, the second and the third radial bearing regions present an axial extension limited to the minimum value required for a radial bearing for the crankshaft, presenting lower loss by viscous friction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The invention will be described below, with reference to the enclosed drawings, given by way of example and in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 represents, schematically, a longitudinal sectional view of a crankcase with its bearing hub housing a crankshaft provided with a circumferential recess, disposed between two support end portions, according to a first prior art constructive arrangement;

[0029] FIG. 2 represents a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but illustrating the crankshaft provided with three partial circumferential recesses, which are positioned in the crankshaft and in its eccentric end portion, but only in the regions less required in terms of radial bearing, according to a second prior art constructive arrangement;

[0030] FIG. 3 represents a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but illustrating a crankcase with its bearing hub housing a crankshaft and being provided with a circumferential recess, defined between the first and the second bearing portions, according to a third prior art constructive arrangement;

[0031] FIG. 4 represents a view similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 3, but illustrating the same compressor crankcase, partially cut and having its bearing hub and the respective crankshaft provided with respective circumferential recesses, formed according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] FIG. 5 represents a view similar to that of FIG. 4, but illustrating the crankshaft and the bearing hub provided with respective circumferential recesses, formed according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0033] FIG. 6 represents a view similar to that of FIG. 5, but illustrating the crankshaft and the bearing hub provided with respective circumferential recesses and defining, besides the first and the second radial bearing regions, a third radial bearing region, intermediary to the first two, according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] As already previously described, the bearing arrangement of the present invention is applied to a refrigeration compressor of the type partially illustrated in the enclosed drawings and which includes, in the interior of a shell (not illustrated), a crankcase B which comprises cylinder 10, at least, and one bearing hub 30 having a first end 30a and a second end 30b.

[0035] The bearing hub 30 houses a crankshaft 40 which incorporates an eccentric end portion 45, projecting axially outwards from the first end 30a of the bearing hub 30, and a free end portion 46, which projects axially outwards from the second end 30b of the bearing hub 30. Although FIGS. 4 and 5 do not illustrate the cylinder, the piston and the connecting rod, it should be understood that such parts were suppressed only by reasons of simplification of said figures, since they are already part of the type of compressor to which the present bearing arrangement is applied.

[0036] The parts of crankcase B and crankshaft 40 can be constructed in any adequate well known prior art material as, for example, aluminum or cast iron alloys for the crankcase B, and steel or cast iron alloys for the crankshaft 40.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 4 of the enclosed drawings, the present bearing arrangement includes a bearing hub 30 which comprises a first bearing portion 31 and a second bearing portion 32, axially spaced from each other by a circumferential recess 33, which is provided around the median region of the bearing hub 30.

[0038] The circumferential recess 33 should present a radial depth only sufficient to prevent its bottom cylindrical face 33a from having any bearing function, that is, from producing losses by viscous friction jointly with the confronting surface of the crankshaft 40. However, said radial depth should not reach values which can impair the adequate lubrication of any of the regions of the bearing hub 30 in which the effective bearing of the crankshaft 40 occurs, as described ahead.

[0039] In like manner, the crankshaft 40 comprises a first support portion 41 and a second support portion 42, which are spaced from each other by a circumferential recess 43, provided around the median region of the crankshaft and whose radial depth is defined in a manner only sufficient to prevent its bottom cylindrical face 43a from having any bearing function, that is, from producing losses by viscous friction jointly with the confronting surface of the bearing hub 30. However, as already mentioned above, said radial depth must not reach values which can impair the adequate lubrication of any of the regions in which the effective bearing of the crankshaft 40 occurs.

[0040] In the refrigeration compressors considered in the present invention, the radial depth of the circumferential recesses 33, 43 is preferably defined between about 0.03 and 0.10 millimeters.

[0041] According to the present invention, the first and second bearing portions 31, 32 of the bearing hub 30, and the first and second support portions 41, 42 of the crankshaft 40 present respective axial extensions, which are predetermined to guarantee the formation, on the bearing hub 30 and in the crankshaft 40, of support surfaces for effecting the surface finishing operations required for the support portions 41, 42 of the crankshaft 40 and for the bearing portions 31, 32 of the bearing hub 30.

[0042] As already commented in relation to the prior art, in case the bearing portions 31, 32 of the bearing hub 30, or the support portions 41, 42 of the crankshaft 40, have their axial extensions individually reduced to minimum values, but still capable of guaranteeing an adequate radial bearing of the crankshaft 40, said reduced bearing portions 31, 32 and support portions 41, 42 will not be capable of providing surface extensions which allow simple, reliable and relatively uncostly surface finishing operations of the bearing hub 30 and of the crankshaft 40.

[0043] A particular aspect of the present invention refers to the determination of the axial extension of said bearing portions 31, 32 and support portions 41, 42, since this dimensioning is made independently of the axial extensions required for the radial bearing regions of the crankshaft 40 which are formed by the radially confronting axial extensions of said support portions 41, 42 of the crankshaft 40 and of the bearing portions 31, 31 of the bearing hub 30.

[0044] Further according to the present invention and as illustrated in FIG. 4, the circumferential recesses 33, 43, of the bearing hub 30 and of the crankshaft 40, respectively, are axially and partially offset from each other and also axially dimensioned so that the first and second bearing portions 31, 32 of the bearing hub 30, define, respectively, with the first and second support portions 41, 42 of the crankshaft 40: [0044] a first radial bearing region M1, having an axial extension equal to the axial extension of the first bearing portion 31 and smaller than the axial extension of the first support portion 41; and [0045] a second radial bearing region M2, having an axial extension smaller than the axial extensions of the second bearing portion 32, and of the second support portion 42 (which defines the free end portion 46).

[0045] As can be noted, the bearing arrangement proposed by the present invention allows the first and second radial bearing regions M1, M2 to be dimensioned in the axial direction, considering only the bearing requirements for the crankshaft 40, without said axial dimensioning, which is reduced in the radial bearing regions M1, M2 and capable of minimizing the losses by viscous friction in the operation of the crankshaft 40, undesirably reducing the axial extensions of the bearing portions 31, 32 and support portions 41, 42 and, thus, impairing the surface finishing operations of the bearing hub 30 and of the crankshaft 40.

[0046] According to the proposed arrangement, the axial dimensioning of the first and second radial bearing regions M1, M2 is made so as not to interfere, at least in a relevant manner, with the axial dimensioning of the bearing portions 31,32 and of the support portions 41,42. Thus, it is possible, with the present invention, to provide the first and second radial bearing regions M1, M2 with dimensions that are relatively reduced in relation to those required in the prior art solutions.

[0047] In the shaft construction illustrated in the enclosed drawings, the second support portion 42, of the crankshaft 40, extends through the free end portion 46 of the latter, allowing the axial extension of the second radial bearing region M2 to be defined only by determination of the positioning of the adjacent end of the circumferential recess 43 of the crankshaft 40. It should be noted that the free end portion 46 of the crankshaft 40 guarantees an adequate axial extension for the second support portion 42 of the crankshaft 40, even though said portion projects only slightly inwardly the bearing hub 30, so as to define therein the second radial bearing region M2, with an axial extension which is very reduced due to the smaller load to which this second radial bearing region is submitted upon the compressor operation.

[0048] Further according to the enclosed drawings, the first and the second bearing portions 31, 32 are respectively positioned adjacent to the first and second ends 30a, 30b of the bearing hub 30. Thus, the axial extensions of the first and second radial bearing regions M1, M2 are limited by the ends of the circumferential recesses 33, 43, respectively provided in the bearing hub 30 and in the crankshaft 40.

[0049] In the construction illustrated in FIG. 4, the circumferential recess 43 of the crankshaft 40 is made so as to provide a first support portion 41 with an axial extension superior to that required for the respective radial bearing region M1. This radial bearing region M1 is defined by the minimum axial extension required for the first bearing portion 31 necessary for an adequate and reliable surface finishing operation of the bearing hub 30. In this case, the axial extension of the first radial bearing region M1 can be over-dimensioned in relation to the value required for an adequate bearing of the crankshaft 40, the priority of said dimensioning being determined by the minimum extension required for the first bearing portion 31, as a function of the requirements of the surface finishing process of the bearing hub 30.

[0050] However, as illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the first support portion 41 of the crankshaft 40 can be provided with at least one relief circumferential recess 47, which is at least partially confronting with a respective axial extension of the first bearing portion 31. Thus, this relief circumferential recess 47, which confronts an extension of the first bearing portion 31, diminishes the axial extension of the first radial bearing region M1, reducing it to the minimum values required for the provision of an adequate radial bearing region for the crankshaft, reducing to the minimum the energy losses by viscous friction, maintaining the entire axial extension of the first support portion 41, which is thus composed by a first axial extension 41a and a second axial extension 41b, with an adequate dimensioning for a correct and reliable grinding operation of the crankshaft 40.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the relief circumferential recess 47 is provided in a median region of the first support portion 41 of the crankshaft 40, and confronting with a respective axial extension of the first bearing portion 31, adjacent to the circumferential recess 33 of the bearing hub 30.

[0052] The positioning of the relief circumferential recess 47, in a median region of the first support portion 41 and confronting with the first bearing portion 31, allows the extension of the first radial bearing region M1 to be defined by subtracting the axial extension portion of said relief circumferential recess 47 which confronts the first bearing portion 31, without causing decrease in the whole axial extension of the first support portion 41. It should be noted that the radial depth of the relief circumferential recess 47 is dimensioned according to the same criteria already commented in relation to the dimensioning of the radial depth of the other circumferential recesses 33, 43 of the bearing hub 30 and of the crankshaft 40.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 6 of the enclosed drawings, the bearing hub 30 can have its circumferential recess 33 defined by at least two recess portions 33b, 33c, which are separated apart by a third bearing portion 35, radially confronting with the first support portion 41 (according to the embodiment of FIG. 4) or with the second axial extension 41b of the first support portion 41 (according to the embodiment of FIG. 5), in order to define, with said first support portion 41 or second axial extension 41b, a third radial bearing region M3, disposed between the first and the second radial bearing region M1, M2.

[0054] The third radial bearing region M3 occupies a positioning intermediate to the first and second radial bearing regions M1, M2, allowing to improve the alignment of the crankshaft 40 in its lower end (region of the rotor), so as to provide a rotor operation which is more centralized in relation to the hole of the stator.

[0055] Thus, even though the provision of the third radial bearing region M3 causes an increase in the sum of the axial extensions of the multiple radial bearing regions, in relation to the sum of the axial extensions of only two radial bearing regions, said provision will be determined as a function of the project features of the compressor, mainly of the levels of deformation of the shaft, and/or of the diametrical gap values used in the project.

[0056] If it is necessary or convenient to provide a higher bearing degree for the crankshaft 40, the constructive solution, suggested in FIG. 6 of the drawings, allows complying with the requirement for a greater extension for the radial bearing, maintaining the sum of the axial extensions of the multiple bearing regions in values which are reduced in relation to the solutions suggested by the prior art.

[0057] It should be understood that the circumferential recess 33 of the bearing hub 30 may be defined by more than two recess portions, which are separated apart by bearing portions. The number of circumferential recesses, provided in the crankshaft 40 and in the bearing hub 30, can vary according to the project features of the compressor and, more specifically, according to the bearing requirements for the crankshaft.

[0058] It should be noted that the radial depth of the recess portions 33b, 33c is dimensioned according to the same criteria already commented in relation to the dimensioning of the radial depth of the other circumferential recesses 33, 43 and 47 of the bearing hub 30 and of the crankshaft 40.

[0059] While only some embodiments for the present invention have been described herein with reference to the embodiments of the enclosed drawings, it should be understood that other possible constructions can be presented, without departing from the inventive concept defined in the claims that accompany the present specification.