Scroll compressor

Abstract

A scroll compressor includes a main housing. A driving part configured to generate torque and a compression part driven by the driving part are accommodated in the main housing. The compression part includes a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll that engages with the fixed scroll to form a compression chamber in which a refrigerant is compressed. The torque of the driving part is transmitted to the compression part by a driving shaft. The driving shaft is rotatably supported by a main bearing positioned in a low pressure region adjacent to the driving part. Accordingly, since the main bearing is disposed in a low pressure region, a load applied to the main bearing may be decreased.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A scroll compressor comprising:
 a main housing including an accommodation space and a refrigerant suction hole configured to introduce a low pressure refrigerant into the accommodation space;   a driving part including a driving motor accommodated in the main housing;   a driving shaft coupled to the driving motor;   a compression part including a fixed scroll accommodated in the main housing and an orbiting scroll engaged with the fixed scroll to form a high pressure compression chamber;   a main frame disposed between the driving part and the compression part and configured to divide an interior of the main housing into a low pressure region and a high pressure region, the driving part being disposed in the low pressure region and the compression part being disposed in the high pressure region; and   a main bearing attached to the main frame in the low pressure region and configured to rotatably support the driving shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The scroll compressor of  claim 1 , further including:
 a medium pressure chamber (MR) disposed between the compression part and the main frame, such that the main bearing is disposed outside the medium pressure chamber (MR).   
     
     
         3 . The scroll compressor of  claim 2 , wherein the main frame includes:
 a circular plate portion disposed between the driving part and the compression part; and   a bearing accommodation portion disposed between the circular plate portion and the driving part and coupled to the main bearing.   
     
     
         4 . The scroll compressor of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the medium pressure chamber (MR) is formed in the circular plate portion; and   the bearing accommodation portion protrudes from the circular plate portion toward the driving part and is disposed in the low pressure region.   
     
     
         5 . The scroll compressor of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bearing accommodation portion includes a seat groove;   the main bearing is disposed in the seat groove, and   a sealing member is disposed between the medium pressure chamber (MR) and the main bearing and configured to prevent a refrigerant from flowing between the medium pressure chamber (MR) and the main bearing.   
     
     
         6 . The scroll compressor of  claim 5 , wherein
 the bearing accommodation portion includes an opening having one end connected to the low pressure region adjacent to the driving motor and an opposite end connected to the medium pressure chamber (MR) separated from low pressure region by the sealing member.   
     
     
         7 . The scroll compressor of  claim 5 , wherein
 an inner circumferential surface of the opening includes a groove, and   the sealing member is seated in the groove.   
     
     
         8 . The scroll compressor of  claim 7 , wherein the seat groove includes a generally concave inner surface along a direction from adjacent to the driving part towards the compression part. 
     
     
         9 . The scroll compressor of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the groove is disposed between the circular plate portion and the seat groove; and   a diameter of the seat groove is greater than a diameter of the groove.   
     
     
         10 . The scroll compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the main frame includes:
 a circular plate portion disposed between the driving part and the compression part; and   a bearing accommodation portion disposed between the circular plate portion and the driving part.   
     
     
         11 . The scroll compressor of  claim 10 , wherein:
 an interior of the bearing accommodation portion is connected to the low pressure region; and   the main bearing is accommodated in the bearing accommodation portion.   
     
     
         12 . The scroll compressor of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the bearing accommodation portion protrudes from the circular plate portion toward the driving part; and   the interior of the bearing accommodation portion is open toward the driving part and is connected to the low pressure region.   
     
     
         13 . The scroll compressor of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a medium pressure chamber (MR) disposed between the bearing accommodation portion and the compression part; and   a sealing member disposed in the bearing accommodation portion between the medium pressure chamber (MR) from the low pressure region,   wherein the main bearing is disposed in a portion of the bearing accommodation portion connected to the low pressure region.   
     
     
         14 . The scroll compressor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a medium pressure chamber (MR) is formed in the main frame; and   the main bearing is disposed outside the medium pressure chamber (MR) and between the medium pressure chamber (MR) and the driving part.   
     
     
         15 . The scroll compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant includes a carbon dioxide refrigerant. 
     
     
         16 . A scroll compressor comprising:
 a main housing;   a driving motor disposed in the main housing;   a driving shaft coupled to the driving motor;   a fixed scroll attached to the main housing;   an orbiting scroll connected to the driving shaft, the orbiting scroll forming a high pressure compression chamber with the fixed scroll;   a main frame disposed between the driving motor and the orbiting scroll and configured to divide an interior of the main housing into a low pressure region and a high pressure region, the main frame including a seat groove disposed in the low pressure region; and   a main bearing disposed in the seat groove and configured to rotatably support the driving shaft.   
     
     
         17 . The scroll compressor of  claim 16 , wherein the main frame includes:
 a circular plate portion; and   a bearing accommodation portion protruding from the circular plate portion towards the driving motor.   
     
     
         18 . The scroll compressor of  claim 17 , wherein
 the circular plate portion includes a medium pressure chamber,   the bearing accommodation portion includes an opening extending from the seat groove to the medium pressure chamber, and   the driving shaft extends through the opening.   
     
     
         19 . The scroll compressor of  claim 18 , further including a sealing member disposed in the bearing accommodation portion between the seat groove and the medium pressure chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The scroll compressor of  claim 18 , further including a groove extending radially from an inner circumferential surface of the opening into the bearing accommodation portion, the groove being configured to receive the sealing member.