Oil separating apparatus and electronic compressor including the same

Abstract

An oil separating apparatus and an electric compressor are disclosed. The oil separating apparatus includes a plurality of protrusions provided in a cylinder. A mixed fluid of a refrigerant and oil flowing into the cylinder may collide with the plurality of protrusions as well as an inner wall of the cylinder. A collision probability of the mixed fluid of the refrigerant and the oil with an internal structure of the cylinder and the number of collisions are increased, thereby enhancing efficiency of separating the refrigerant and the oil.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oil separating apparatus comprising:
 a cylinder configured to receive flow of a mixed fluid of a refrigerant and an oil compressed in a compression unit, the cylinder comprising:
 a plurality of protrusions provided on an inner surface of the cylinder, the protrusions configured to separate the mixed fluid into the refrigerant and the oil, 
 an exhaust port configured to discharge the separated refrigerant; and 
 an oil discharge port configured to discharge the separated oil. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oil separating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart from each other by an interval in an inner circumferential direction of the cylinder.   
     
     
         3 . The oil separating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the interval is larger than a width of the protrusion.   
     
     
         4 . The oil separating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cylinder is elongated in a longitudinal direction, and   the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart from each other by a distance in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder.   
     
     
         5 . The oil separating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein
 the distance is larger than a length of the protrusion.   
     
     
         6 . The oil separating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cylinder further comprises a vortex finder disposed in an axial direction of the cylinder at an upper side and an inner space of the cylinder. 
     
     
         7 . The oil separating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the vortex finder includes a mesh at a lower end portion of the vortex finder to separate a residual oil existing in the separated refrigerant. 
     
     
         8 . The oil separating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cylinder has a cylindrical shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder. 
     
     
         9 . The oil separating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cylinder is inclined downward so that a sectional area of the cylinder becomes narrower toward a lower side of the cylinder. 
     
     
         10 . An electric compressor comprising:
 a motor including a stator and a rotated rotor spaced apart by a distance inside the stator;   a compression unit including an orbiting scroll rotatably connected to the motor and a fixed scroll positioned adjacent to the orbiting scroll, the compression unit configured to compress a refrigerant by a relative rotation of the orbiting scroll; and   an oil separating apparatus in communication with the compression unit to receive the compressed refrigerant from the compression unit, the compressed refrigerant including an oil,   wherein the oil separating apparatus comprises:
 a cylinder configured to receive flow of the compressed refrigerant from the compressed unit, the cylinder including a plurality of protrusions provided on an inner surface of the cylinder, the protrusions being configured to separate the oil from the compressed refrigerant. 
   
     
     
         11 . The electric compressor of  claim 10 , wherein
 the cylinder comprises:   an oil discharge port positioned at a lower side of the cylinder and configured to discharge the separated oil; and   an exhaust port positioned at an upper side of the cylinder and configured to discharge a refrigerant separated from the compressed refrigerant.   
     
     
         12 . The electric compressor of  claim 10 , wherein
 the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart from each other by an interval in an inner circumferential direction of the cylinder.   
     
     
         13 . The electric compressor of  claim 12 , wherein
 the interval is larger than a width of the protrusion.   
     
     
         14 . The electric compressor of  claim 10 , wherein
 the cylinder is elongated in a longitudinal direction, and   the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart from each other by a distance in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder.   
     
     
         15 . The electric compressor of  claim 14 , wherein
 the distance is larger than a length of the protrusion.   
     
     
         16 . The electric compressor of  claim 10 , wherein the cylinder comprises a vortex finder disposed in an axial direction of the cylinder at an upper side and inner space of the cylinder. 
     
     
         17 . The electric compressor of  claim 16 , wherein
 a mesh is provided at a lower end portion of the vortex finder to separate a residual oil existing in the separated refrigerant.   
     
     
         18 . The electric compressor of  claim 10 , wherein the oil separating apparatus and the compression unit communicate with each other via a mixed fluid inlet positioned on an outer circumference and an inner circumference of the cylinder and eccentric from a center of the cylinder at an interval.