Coolant compressor

Abstract

The invention relates to a coolant compressor comprising an electric drive unit, a cylinder housing (1), a crankshaft (3) which can be driven by the electric drive unit, and a piston (2) that can be driven by the crankshaft (3) and is guided in a working volume of the cylinder housing (1) for cyclically compressing a coolant which can be conveyed via a suction valve into the working volume, said suction valve comprising a suction opening (7) and a valve closure element (8), preferably a valve spring, which closes the suction opening (7) in cycles. The aim of the invention is to ensure a continuous opening movement of the suction valve during the suction cycle. According to the invention, this is achieved by providing an actuation device (14; 15, 23) which is designed to open the valve closure element (8) in cycles.

1 . A coolant compressor having an electrical drive unit, a cylinder housing, a crankshaft drivable by the electrical drive unit and a piston drivable by the crankshaft and guided in a working volume of the cylinder housing for cyclical compression of a coolant, which can be conveyed into the working volume via a suction valve comprising a suction opening and a valve-closing element, cyclically closing the suction opening, wherein an actuating device is provided, which is designed to open the valve-closing element cyclically. 
     
     
         2 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve-closing element can only be opened on a supporting basis by the actuating device. 
     
     
         3 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the actuating device has a contact portion that is engaged with, or can be brought into engagement with, the valve-closing element, wherein the actuating device is designed to open the valve-closing element cyclically by moving the contact portion. 
     
     
         4 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 3 , wherein the contact portion is or can be brought into contact with the side of the valve-closing element facing away from the piston in order to open the element by exerting a pressure force. 
     
     
         5 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the valve-closing element can be initiated with the actuating device at an equilibrium of the coolant pressure on both sides of the valve-closing element. 
     
     
         6 . The coolant compressor according to  claims 1 , wherein the valve-closing element is cyclically closable by means of the actuating device. 
     
     
         7 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the actuating device is designed to open the valve-closing element cyclically as a function of the crank angle of the crankshaft. 
     
     
         8 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the actuating device is mechanically coupled to the crankshaft and comprises an actuating element, which has a contact portion that can be brought into contact or is in contact with the valve-closing element. 
     
     
         9 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 8 , wherein the actuating element is connected in an articulated manner to the cylinder housing or a cylinder head cover of a cylinder head arrangement. 
     
     
         10 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 8 , wherein the actuating element is mounted pivotably about a pivot axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft. 
     
     
         11 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 8 , wherein the actuating device has a control element in operative contact with an actuating portion of the actuating element, which control element is connected for conjoint rotation to the crankshaft,
 wherein actuating element and control element are designed such that a rotational movement of the crankshaft can be converted into a pivoting movement or a translational movement of at least the contact portion of the actuating element.   
     
     
         12 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 11 , wherein the control element has a guide surface contacting the actuating portion of the actuating element, the guide surface being formed eccentrically to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft. 
     
     
         13 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the guide surface is formed by an annular groove arranged on an end face of the control element facing the drive unit or on an end face facing away from the drive unit. 
     
     
         14 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the actuating element has a lever-shaped main body, wherein a first lever arm of the main body has the actuating portion and a second lever arm of the main body has the contact portion. 
     
     
         15 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 9 , wherein the cylinder head cover of the cylinder head arrangement forms a bearing point for the actuating element,
 or in that a bracket is formed on the cylinder head cover of the cylinder head arrangement, which bracket forms a bearing point for the actuating element.   
     
     
         16 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 14 , wherein the main body of the actuating element has at least one bend, and a bend axis of each bend is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft. 
     
     
         17 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 3 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the contact portion of the actuating element is small relative to a cross-sectional area of the suction opening. 
     
     
         18 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 3 , wherein the contact portion is formed by a resilient contact element. 
     
     
         19 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 18 , wherein the contact element is shaped flat and has a bent connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion connects the actuating element to the contact portion. 
     
     
         20 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 19 , wherein the contact portion is arranged substantially parallel to a bore axis of the suction opening and that the connecting portion has at least one V-shaped bend. 
     
     
         21 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 3 , wherein the contact portion is guided at least in certain sections in a bore of the cylinder head cover for the cylinder head arrangement and/or in a bore of a suction sound absorber. 
     
     
         22 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 8 , wherein the actuating element comprises a first portion, more particularly a straight portion, that is translationally movable parallel to the piston, and a second, bent portion that reaches behind the suction opening and supports the contact portion so that it is likewise movable translationally parallel to the piston. 
     
     
         23 . A method for operating a coolant compressor having an electrical drive unit, a cylinder housing, a crankshaft drivable by the electrical drive unit and a piston drivable by the crankshaft and guided in a working volume of the cylinder housing for cyclical compression of a coolant, which is conveyed into the working volume via a suction valve comprising a suction opening and a valve-closing element, cyclically closing the suction opening, wherein an actuating device is provided with which the valve-closing element can be opened cyclically at least in a supporting manner. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the actuating device has a contact portion that is engaged with, or can he brought into engagement with, the valve-closing element, wherein the valve-closing element is opened cyclically by moving the contact portion. 
     
     
         25 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 1  wherein the valve-closing element comprises a valve spring. 
     
     
         26 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 16 , wherein the at least one bend comprises at least one bend per lever arm. 
     
     
         27 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 18 , wherein the resilient contact element is made from spring wire or plastic. 
     
     
         28 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 19 , wherein the actuating element has a lever shaped main body, and the connecting portion connects the lever-shaped main body of the actuating element to the contact portion. 
     
     
         29 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 8 , wherein the contact element is shaped flat and has a bent connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion connects the actuating element to the contact portion. 
     
     
         30 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 29 , wherein the actuating element has a lever shaped main body, and the connecting portion connects the lever-shaped main body of the actuating element to the contact portion. 
     
     
         31 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 20 , wherein a plane formed by the contact element is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft. 
     
     
         32 . The coolant compressor according to  claim 21 , wherein the bore of an outlet of the suction sound absorber comprises an outlet of the suction sound absorber. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the valve-closing element comprises a valve spring.