Rotor Assembly for Rotary Compressor

Abstract

A traditional compressor unit of the sealed type suffers in that a failure of either the motor or the compressor require both to be discarded Provided is a compressor ( 1 ) having a rotor assembly ( 3 ) within which a rotor ( 24 ) is rotated on an eccentric shaft ( 28 ) in a sealed chamber ( 23 ) Two or more intake ports ( 32, 33 ) are provided that open into the sealed chamber ( 23 ) and two or more exhaust ports ( 34, 35 ) are provided with one way valves ( 38 ), to permit compressed gas to exit the sealed chamber ( 23 ) The geometry of the rotor ( 24 ) and sealed chamber ( 23 ) and eccentric drive ( 28 ) are such that apices of the rotor ( 24 ) remain in contact with a peripheral wall ( 22 ) of the sealed chamber ( 23 ) as the rotor ( 24 ) rotates and apex seals ( 36 ) are provided on the apices of the rotor ( 24 ) to prevent leakage of the gas around the apices of the rotor ( 24 ) In a preferred embodiment the rotor ( 24 ) is a multi-lobed rotor orbiting within a trochoidal chamber ( 23 ).

1 . A compressor comprising a rotor assembly within which a rotor is rotated on an eccentric shaft in a sealed chamber, two or more intake ports are provided that open into the sealed chamber, two or more exhaust ports are provided with one way valves, to permit compressed gas to exit the sealed chamber, the geometry of the rotor and sealed chamber and eccentric drive are such that apices of the rotor remain in contact with a peripheral wall of the sealed chamber as the rotor rotates and apex seals are provided on the apices of the rotor to prevent leakage of the gas around the apices of the rotor. 
     
     
         2 . The compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor is a multi-lobed rotor orbiting within a trochoidal chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The compressor of  claim 2 , wherein the rotor is a three lobed rotor journalled on a shaft and having a ring gear driven by timing pinion, the gear ratio of the ring gear to the timing pinion being three to one. 
     
     
         4 . The compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the apex seals are compression seals that remain in contact with the peripheral wall of the sealed chamber as the rotor rotates. 
     
     
         5 . The compressor of  claim 4 , wherein the apex seals have an apex seal spring to maintain the apex seal in contact with the peripheral wall of the sealed chamber as the rotor rotates. 
     
     
         6 . The compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor assembly comprises a back plate, rotor housing and front plate wherein an inner peripheral wall of the rotor housing together with inner surfaces of the back plate and front plate define the sealed chamber within which the rotor is rotated on an eccentric shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The compressor of  claim 6 , comprising a pair of intake ports that open into the sealed chamber and a pair of exhaust ports provided in the rotor housing with one way valves, to permit compressed gas to exit the sealed chamber as the rotor rotates. 
     
     
         8 . The compressor of  claim 7 , wherein the pair of intake ports are provided in the back plate. 
     
     
         9 . The compressor of  claim 7 , wherein the pair of intake ports are provided in the front plate. 
     
     
         10 . The compressor of  claim 6 , comprising one or more intake ports in the back plate and one or more intake ports in the front plate, all of said intake ports opening into the sealed chamber and a pair of exhaust ports provided in the rotor housing with one way valves, to permit compressed gas to exit the sealed chamber as the rotor rotates. 
     
     
         11 . The compressor of  claim 1 , comprising a rotary drive enclosed by a sealed casing and orbiting the rotor, a driven element of a magnetic coupling in driving connection with the rotary drive and orbiting the rotor, the driven element enclosed by the sealed casing and including at least one magnet, a driving element of the magnetic coupling outside of the casing in close proximity to the driven element, and an arrangement for rotating the driving element. 
     
     
         12 . The compressor of  claim 11 , wherein the arrangement for rotating the driving element includes an electric motor. 
     
     
         13 . The compressor of  claim 12 , wherein the magnet includes a plurality of electromagnets. 
     
     
         14 . The compressor of  claim 13 , wherein the driving element includes a plurality of electromagnets. 
     
     
         15 . The compressor of  claim 1 , comprising a rear vector plate to cap the back of the rotor assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The compressor of  claim 15 , comprising a seal retention plate to cap the front of the rotor assembly, and comprising an opening through which the shaft extends to permit an end of the shaft to be connected to a direct drive. 
     
     
         17 . The compressor of  claim 16 , comprising a seal around that portion of the shaft passing through the opening in the seal retention plate.