Motor-operated compressor

Abstract

A motor-operated compressor is provided and includes an orbiting scroll and a rear housing supporting a rear surface of the orbiting scroll. The rear housing includes a discharge space communicating with a discharge port of the orbiting scroll formed at a central portion of a surface facing the orbiting scroll, an oil separation space formed at one side of the discharge space to communicate with the discharge space, and an oil storage space formed at an edge portion of the surface facing the orbiting scroll. An oil return passage is provided between the oil separation space and the oil storage space, so as to guide oil separated in the oil separation space to the oil storage space. Accordingly, a space for storing oil separated from a discharged refrigerant is sufficiently secured while allowing the rear housing defining the oil storage space to be easily fabricated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A motor-operated compressor, comprising:
 a main housing having a suction space;   a motor unit disposed in the suction space;   a rotating shaft coupled to the motor unit;   a fixed scroll coupled to the main housing, the fixed scroll being configured to support the rotating shaft, and including an inlet port communicating with the suction space;   an orbiting scroll coupled to the rotating shaft and configured to perform an orbiting motion with respect to the fixed scroll, the orbiting scroll forming a compression space with the fixed scroll, and including a discharge port; and   a rear housing coupled to the main housing,   wherein the rear housing includes a discharge space configured to communicate with the discharge port of the orbiting scroll, the discharge space is disposed adjacent to a central portion of a surface facing the orbiting scroll, an oil storage space disposed adjacent to an edge portion of the surface facing the orbiting scroll, and an oil return passage configured to guide oil separated in the discharge space to the oil storage space.   
     
     
         2 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the oil storage space includes an annular recess extending from a surface facing the orbiting scroll into the rear housing. 
     
     
         3 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 2 , wherein
 the rear housing includes a first annular-shaped support surface formed at an inner circumferential side of the oil storage space, first annular-shaped support surface separating the oil storage space and the discharge space,   the first annular-shaped support surface includes a first sealing member configured to provide a seal between the oil storage space and the discharge space,   the rear housing includes a second annular-shaped support surface formed at an outer circumferential side of the oil storage space, and   the second annular-shaped support surface includes a second sealing member configured to provide a seal between the oil storage space and the suction space.   
     
     
         4 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 3 , further including
 at least one oil storage space partitioning protrusion extending between the first annular-shaped support surface and the second annular-shaped support surface,   wherein the oil storage space partitioning protrusion has an axial height lower than axial heights of the first annular-shaped support surface and the second annular-shaped support surface.   
     
     
         5 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 3 , further including
 at least one oil storage space partitioning protrusion extending between the first annular-shaped support surface and the second annular-shaped support surface, the at least one oil storage space partitioning protrusion configured to separate the oil storage space into adjacent oil storage spaces,   wherein the oil storage space partitioning protrusion includes a space communication groove configured to communicate the adjacent oil storage spaces.   
     
     
         6 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 3 , further including
 at least one oil storage space partitioning protrusion extending between the first annular-shaped support surface and the second annular-shaped support surface,   wherein the oil storage space partitioning protrusion includes an anti-rotation pin rotatably inserted into an anti-rotation ring provided in the orbiting scroll.   
     
     
         7 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 3 , wherein
 the oil storage space includes a plurality of pin fixing protrusions circumferentially spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and   each of the plurality of pin fixing protrusions includes an anti-rotation pin rotatably inserted into an anti-rotation ring provided in the orbiting scroll.   
     
     
         8 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 1 , wherein
 an outlet end of the oil return passage communicates with the oil storage space at a position lower than a position of the discharge space, and   the oil return passage includes a flow controller configured to control a flow rate of oil passing through the oil return passage.   
     
     
         9 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the orbiting scroll includes an oil guide passage, wherein one end of the oil guide passage communicates with the oil storage space of the rear housing. 
     
     
         10 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 9 , wherein
 a central portion of the orbiting scroll includes a rotating shaft coupling portion,   the rotating shaft is inserted into and coupled to the rotating shaft coupling portion, and   the oil guide passage communicates with the rotating shaft coupling portion.   
     
     
         11 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 10 , wherein
 an end portion of the rotating shaft is inserted into the rotating shaft coupling portion and includes an oil supply passage that communicates with the oil guide passage, and   the oil supply passage includes an oil supply groove extending into the end portion of the rotating shaft in an axial direction, and a plurality of oil supply holes extending from the oil supply groove toward the rotating shaft coupling portion.   
     
     
         12 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 11 , wherein
 the oil guide passage is positioned higher than the oil return passage,   the orbiting scroll includes a low-pressure side oil supply passage communicating with the oil guide passage, and   the low-pressure side oil supply passage includes a low-pressure side oil supply hole axially penetrating through an orbiting wrap of the orbiting scroll.   
     
     
         13 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 12 , wherein
 an end portion of the orbiting wrap facing the fixed scroll includes an oil supply communication groove, and   the oil supply communication groove is configured to be connected to a side wall surface of the orbiting wrap.   
     
     
         14 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 1 , further including
 a thrust plate positioned between the orbiting scroll and the rear housing,   a plurality of scroll-side sealing members provided between the thrust plate and the orbiting scroll, the scroll-side sealing members radially spaced apart at predetermined intervals, and   a plurality of housing-side sealing members provided between the thrust plate and the rear housing, the oil storage space being interposed between the housing-side sealing members.   
     
     
         15 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 14 , wherein the thrust plate includes
 a plurality of pin holes formed along a circumferential direction, each of the pin holes being configured to receive an anti-rotation pin, and   at least one communication hole configured to provide communication between the plurality of scroll-side sealing members and the plurality of housing-side sealing members.   
     
     
         16 . A motor-operated compressor, comprising:
 a first housing having a suction space;   a motor unit positioned at one end of the first housing;   a rotating shaft coupled to the motor unit;   a first scroll disposed in the suction space of the first housing and positioned at an opposite end of the first housing facing the motor unit, the first scroll being coupled to the first housing and configured to support the rotating shaft, the first scroll including an inlet port communicating with the suction space;   a second scroll coupled to the rotating shaft and configured to perform an orbiting motion with respect to the first scroll, the second scroll forming a compression space at a first side surface thereof facing the first scroll, and including a discharge port; and   a second housing positioned facing a second side surface opposite to the first side surface of the second scroll, the second housing being coupled to the first housing,   wherein the second housing includes
 a discharge space communicating with the discharge port of the second scroll, the discharge space being formed adjacent to a central portion of a surface of the second housing facing the second scroll, 
 an oil separation space positioned on one side of the discharge space, the oil separation space configured to communicate with the discharge space, and 
 an oil storage space formed adjacent to an edge portion of the surface of the second housing facing the second scroll, the oil storage space being configured to communicate with the oil separation space. 
   
     
     
         17 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 16 , wherein
 the second scroll includes an oil guide passage configured to communicate with the oil storage space of the second housing, and   the rotating shaft includes an oil supply passage configured to communicate with the oil guide passage.   
     
     
         18 . A motor-operated compressor, comprising:
 a main housing extending from a closed end to an open end;   a fixed scroll positioned between the closed end and the open end and coupled to the main housing, the fixed scroll and the closed end defining a suction space, the fixed scroll including an inlet port connected to the suction space and a central bore;   a motor unit disposed in the suction space;   an orbiting scroll positioned between the fixed scroll and the open end, the orbiting scroll forming a compression space with the fixed scroll, and including a discharge port;   a rotating shaft coupled to the motor unit, the rotating shaft extending through the central bore and being coupled to the orbiting scroll;   a bearing disposed in the central bore of the fixed scroll and configured to support the rotating shaft; and   a rear housing attached to the open end of the main housing, the rear housing including:
 a discharge space disposed adjacent a radially central portion of the rear housing and configured to communicate with the discharge port of the orbiting scroll; 
 an oil storage space arranged to circumscribe the discharge space; and 
 an oil return passage connecting the discharge space and the oil storage space. 
   
     
     
         19 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 18 , further including a bearing disposed at the closed end of the main housing and configured to support the rotating shaft. 
     
     
         20 . The motor-operated compressor of  claim 18 , wherein the rotating shaft includes an eccentric portion including a center spaced apart from a center of the rotating shaft, and the eccentric portion is coupled to the orbiting scroll.