Crankshaft assembly for scroll devices

Abstract

A crankshaft assembly for a scroll device includes a crankshaft that operatively connects to an orbiting scroll of the scroll device by way of an interstitial crank pin. A body portion of the crank pin is attached to the orbiting scroll and a protrusion portion of the crank pin is inserted into an inner portion of a crank bearing that is attached to the crankshaft. The arrangement of the crank pin between the orbiting scroll and the crank bearing of the crankshaft assembly ensure that the crankshaft and crank bearing are coupled to the orbiting scroll without the crank bearing and the orbiting scroll contacting one another. The interstitial arrangement of the crank pin defines a heat conduction path that prevents heat from passing between the orbiting scroll and the crank bearing without first passing through a thermal zone of the crank pin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A scroll device, comprising:
 an orbiting scroll operably connected to a fixed scroll; and   a crankshaft assembly, comprising:
 a crankshaft having a recess; 
 a crank bearing having a bore and secured in the recess; and 
 a crank pin having a first portion mounted to the orbiting scroll and a second portion received in the bore of the crank bearing, thereby connecting the orbiting scroll and the crankshaft. 
   
     
     
         2 . The scroll device of  claim 1 , wherein the crank pin has a protrusion receivable in a cavity of the orbiting scroll. 
     
     
         3 . The scroll device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the crank pin and the crank bearing is secured to the orbiting scroll and the crankshaft, respectively, via one or more fasteners. 
     
     
         4 . The scroll device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a motor operable to rotate the crankshaft, wherein rotational force in an orbiting motion is transferred to the orbiting scroll via the crankshaft assembly.   
     
     
         5 . A crankshaft assembly, comprising:
 a crankshaft having a recess;   a crank bearing having a bore, wherein the crank bearing is secured in the recess; and   a crank pin having a first portion mounted to an orbiting scroll of a scroll device and a second portion received in the bore of the crank bearing, thereby connecting the orbiting scroll and the crankshaft together.   
     
     
         6 . The crankshaft assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the crank bearing is arranged apart from the orbiting scroll. 
     
     
         7 . The crankshaft assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the recess of the crankshaft defines a pin axis of the crankshaft assembly, wherein the crankshaft defines a drive axis of the crankshaft assembly, and wherein the pin axis and the drive axis are arranged parallel to and radially offset from one another by a distance such that the pin axis and the drive axis are not colinear or coaxial with one another. 
     
     
         8 . The crankshaft assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the orbiting scroll comprises an attachment recess extending into a portion of the orbiting scroll, wherein the first portion of the crank pin corresponds to a body of the crank pin, and wherein the body of the crank pin is arranged at least partially inside the attachment recess. 
     
     
         9 . The crankshaft assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the crank pin comprises a plurality of radial locking lobes arranged around a periphery of the body of the crank pin, wherein the attachment recess comprises a plurality of radial locking recesses that engage with the plurality of radial locking lobes, and wherein an engagement of the plurality of radial locking lobes with the plurality of radial locking recesses radially locks the crank pin with the orbiting scroll. 
     
     
         10 . The crankshaft assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the crank pin is attached to the orbiting scroll by a plurality of fasteners, and wherein each fastener of the plurality of fasteners is arranged between immediately adjacent radial locking lobes of the plurality of radial locking lobes. 
     
     
         11 . A scroll device, comprising:
 a fixed scroll;   an orbiting scroll operably coupled to the fixed scroll; and   a crankshaft assembly, comprising:
 a crankshaft extending from a drive shaft end of the crankshaft to an interface end of the crankshaft, wherein the crankshaft comprises a recess extending into the interface end in a direction toward the drive shaft end; 
 a crank bearing comprising an outer diameter portion and an inner diameter portion, wherein the outer diameter portion is arranged in the recess of the crankshaft; and 
 a crank pin arranged between the crank bearing and the orbiting scroll, wherein the crank pin comprises a body portion and a protrusion portion, wherein the protrusion portion is arranged in the inner diameter portion of the crank bearing, wherein the body portion is attached to the orbiting scroll, and wherein the crank pin couples the crankshaft and crank bearing to the orbiting scroll without the crank bearing and the orbiting scroll contacting one another. 
   
     
     
         12 . The scroll device of  claim 11 , wherein a peripheral outermost dimension of the body portion of the crank pin is larger than a peripheral outermost dimension of the protrusion portion of the crank pin. 
     
     
         13 . The scroll device of  claim 11 , wherein the inner diameter portion of the crank bearing and the outer diameter portion of the crank bearing are configured to rotate relative to one another. 
     
     
         14 . The scroll device of  claim 11 , wherein a surface contact area of the inner diameter portion of the crank bearing is less than a surface contact area of the outer diameter portion of the crank bearing. 
     
     
         15 . The scroll device of  claim 11 , wherein the recess of the crankshaft defines a pin axis of the crankshaft assembly, wherein the crankshaft defines a drive axis of the crankshaft assembly, and wherein the pin axis and the drive axis are arranged parallel to and radially offset from one another by a distance such that the pin axis and the drive axis are not colinear or coaxial with one another. 
     
     
         16 . The scroll device of  claim 11 , wherein the body portion of the crank pin is arranged in a recess of the orbiting scroll. 
     
     
         17 . The scroll device of  claim 16 , wherein the crank pin comprises a plurality of radial locking lobes arranged around a periphery of the body portion of the crank pin, wherein the recess of the orbiting scroll comprises a plurality of radial locking recesses that engage with the plurality of radial locking lobes, and wherein an engagement of the plurality of radial locking lobes with the plurality of radial locking recesses radially locks the crank pin with the orbiting scroll. 
     
     
         18 . The scroll device of  claim 17 , wherein the body portion of the crank pin is attached to the orbiting scroll by a plurality of fasteners, and wherein each fastener of the plurality of fasteners is arranged between immediately adjacent radial locking lobes of the plurality of radial locking lobes. 
     
     
         19 . The scroll device of  claim 11 , wherein the crank pin arranged between the crank bearing and the orbiting scroll defines a heat conduction path that prevents heat from passing between the orbiting scroll and the crank bearing without first passing through a thermal zone of the crank pin, wherein the heat conduction path comprises a first surface contact area between the orbiting scroll and the crank pin and a second surface contact area between the crank pin and the crank bearing, and wherein the second surface contact area is less than the first surface contact area. 
     
     
         20 . The scroll device of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a motor attached to the drive shaft end of the crankshaft, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the crankshaft and cause the orbiting scroll to move in an eccentric motion relative to a drive axis of the motor.