Oil distribution system for a compressor

In a refrigeration compressor having at least one piston-cylinder arrangement therein for compressing gaseous refrigerant, an elongated, tube extending upwardly from a lubricant passage in the crankshaft for slinging oil radially, outwardly therefrom, and a lubricant deflector upstanding from the cylinder head to deflect slung oil over exterior surfaces of the cylinder head for conducting heat energy therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to hermetically sealed refrigeration compressors, 
and more particularly to an oil distribution system for such compressors 
adapted to conduct heat energy from the cylinder heads within the 
compressor housings. 
In those refrigeration compressors utilizing a piston-cylinder arrangement 
for compression, the gaseous refrigerant becomes extremely hot upon 
compression and conducts heat energy to the cylinder and cylinder head, 
thereby increasing temperatures of the cylinder and cylinder head. These 
higher temperatures may cause lubricant to boil and lose its lubricating 
properties, which eventually results in carbon deposits forming on valves, 
valve seats, leaf plates and the like. The steady accumulation of such 
deposits will eventually destroy the integrity of the valve arrangement 
requiring shutdown of the compressor and replacement of the defective 
parts. 
Generally, the cooling of the cylinder head is left to the suction inlet 
refrigerant that is delivered directly into the compressor housing. 
Although adequate to acceptably cool the cylinder head, higher compressor 
efficiencies are obtainable if the cylinder head is cooled even further. 
The most relevant prior art of which applicants are aware is U.S. Pat. No. 
2,215,645 issued to Money on Aug. 2, 1938. Money has a short tube 
extending upwardly from the top opening of the oil passage in the 
crankshaft that serves to spray oil upon the top surfaces of compressor 
components. To insure that some of the oil will fall upon the outer 
surfaces of the piston and cylinder to lubricate them, a baffle is 
connected to the top of the cylinder to deflect some the sprayed oil so 
that it may drip downwardly onto the outer surfaces of the piston. It 
appears that the majority of the oil which is sprayed over the baffle 
impacts the compressor housing to return to the oil sump in the bottom of 
the compressor. It should be noted that the baffle in the Money patent is 
disposed on the most axially inwardly portion of the cylinder to insure 
deflection of oil to lubricate the piston. 
The copending application Ser. No. 374,050, now abandoned, of Billy B. 
Hannibal, a coinventor of the present invention, is of particular 
relevance regarding the present invention. In the earlier invention of the 
copending application the applicant has provided for the cooling of oil 
pumped upwardly through an oil passage in a crankshaft by fitting an 
elongated, hollow tube into the oil passage. Oil is pumped upwardly 
through the tube and, by angularly adjusting the tube relative to the 
crankshaft rotational axis, slung radially outwardly against the side 
upper surfaces of the compressor housing to cool the oil as it returns to 
the sump. Although a portion of the slung oil may contact the cylinder and 
cylinder head, any cooling experienced by those parts is extremely slight 
and particularly so with reference to the cylinder head, which may receive 
none of the oil. 
Other devices have been used to decrease the extremely high temperatures of 
the cylinder head, for example, heat radiation fins disposed on the 
cylinder head, which have been effective in various degrees in lowering 
the cylinder head temperature. However, further cylinder head temperature 
reduction is desirable in order to increase compressor efficiency, prevent 
accumulation of carbon deposits on the valve arrangements, and prolong the 
life of parts such as bearings, insulation and the like. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
One technique for maintaining the discharge valve temperature low enough to 
prevent an accumulation of carbon deposits is to transfer heat energy from 
the cylinder head expeditiously. This invention accomplishes such heat 
transfer by bathing the cylinder head with a flow of oil. 
The present invention remedies the above problem of extremely high cylinder 
head temperatures by providing an oil deflector on the cylinder head, 
which is preferably cast of aluminum, to direct slung oil to the cylinder 
head side and end exterior surfaces to conduct heat therefrom. To insure 
that a portion of the slung oil collects and flows downwardly over the end 
surfaces of the cylinder head the deflector is provided with at least one 
opening therein through which some of the slung oil may pass. 
Also provided with the present invention is an opening disposed through the 
side of an elongated, hollow body extending upwardly from the oil passage 
in the top of the crankshaft. The hole is disposed approximately level 
with the deflector on the cylinder head to provide a generally horizontal 
spray of oil thereto upon rotation of the crankshaft. The position of the 
hole in the tube may be varied above the oil deflector to compensate for 
varying centrifugal speeds and angular adjustments of the elongated, 
hollow body. 
Upon rotation of the crankshaft, a portion of the oil pumped upwardly 
through the elongated body is slung generally radially outwardly through 
the opening in the side of the body, and, upon reaching the vertically 
disposed oil deflector on the cylinder head, deflected by the oil 
deflector to flow over the side and end exterior surfaces of the cylinder 
head to conduct heat therefrom. 
Broadly stated, the present invention provides in combination with a 
compressor including a hermetically sealed housing having a crankcase 
therein with a cylinder disposed in the crankcase and a sump in the bottom 
of the housing, a crankshaft rotatably received in the crankcase and 
having a piston operably connected thereto and disposed in the cylinder, 
the crankshaft having centrifugal pump means connected to its bottom 
portion and disposed in the sump and having means connected to its upper 
portion for slinging lubricant radially outwardly therefrom, a lubricant 
deflector device comprising means on and vertically upstanding from the 
cylinder head to direct a portion of the lubricant slung by the slinging 
means to the cylinder head to conduct heat energy therefrom. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide significant additional 
cooling to the cylinder head, and particularly to the cylinder head, of a 
refrigeration compressor, thereby increasing the compressor's efficiency, 
preventing the premature accumulation of carbon deposits on valve 
arrangements, and increasing the useful life of bearings, insulation and 
the like.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIG. 1, conventional compressor 
8 comprises a lower housing 10 and upper housing 12, which may be welded 
or brazed at seam 14. Mounted within compressor 8 is crankcase 16 having 
crankshaft 18 rotatably received therethrough, and a motor 20 comprising 
rotor 22 secured to crankshaft 18 and stator 24 with field windings 26. 
The upper portion of crankshaft 18 has closed-loop end 28 of connecting rod 
30 connected thereto and which has its opposite end connected by wrist pin 
32 and spring clip 34 to piston 36 disposed in cylinder 38 of crankcase 
16. Cylinder 38 has connected thereto gasket 40, leaf plate 42, valve 
plate 44, gasket 46, and cylinder head 48 by four bolts 50. The 
piston-cylinder arrangement is dynamically balanced by counterweight 52 
connected to crankshaft 18. 
Disposed in lower housing 10, along with refrigerant tubing 54, is oil pump 
56 which is connected to the bottom end portion of crankshaft 18 in oil 
sump 58. Crankshaft 18 has axially disposed therein oil passage 60 and 
upper oil passage 62 for delivering oil to lubricate typical points, such 
as main bearing 64 and thrust bearing 66. 
During operation, very high temperature exist within compressor 8 causing 
the components therein, for example, motor 20, crankcase main bearing 64, 
crankshaft bearing 66, and most particularly cylinder head 48 to become 
extremely hot, thereby requiring cooling. 
Generally, the cooling of the above mentioned parts is accomplished by oil 
pump 56 pumping oil from oil sump 58 upwardly through oil passage 60 to 
not only lubricate points, such as crankcase main bearing 64 and 
crankshaft bearing 66, but also to conduct heat energy from motor 20, 
crankcase main bearing 64, crankshaft bearing 66, and other parts 
connected or in close proximity to crankshaft 18. Upon termination of its 
upward travel through oil passage 60 or upper oil passage 62, the oil is 
returned to oil sump 58 at very high temperatures, and, if not properly 
cooled, may prematurely lose its lubricating properties, thereby possibly 
resulting in the early failure of wrist pin, bearings and the like. 
A unique means of cooling the oil is provided by oil slinger tube 68, which 
is fitted in opening 63 of upper oil passage 62 in the top end of 
crankshaft 18. In the present embodiment, slinger 68 is angularly disposed 
relative to the rotational axis of crankshaft 18. Slinger 68 is of a 
predetermined length for reasons which will be discussed below and has 
opening 70 disposed therein, which, as measured from the rotational axis 
of crankshaft 18, has an effective radius longer than the effective radius 
of crankshaft 18. 
The cooling of the oil takes place upon motor 20 being energized through 
conventional multi-pin terminal 72, which causes rotor 22 to rotate 
crankshaft 18 and oil pump 56. As the oil is pumped upwardly by oil pump 
56 through oil passage 60 and upper oil passage 62, a portion of the oil 
will be urged upwardly through slinger 68 and opening 70 to be slung 
generally upwardly and radially outwardly against side surfaces 73 of 
upper housing 12. Because both lower housing 10 and upper housing 12 are 
cooler than the oil, heat energy will be conducted from the oil to 
housings 10 and 12 thereby cooling the oil as it flows downwardly to oil 
sump 58. To insure the oil being slung by slinger 68 does not impact top 
surfaces 75 of upper housing 12, and consequently drip downwardly upon 
compressor parts, such as discharge muffler cover 74, suction muffler 
cover 76, and the other above mentioned parts, slinger 68 is made of a 
rigid material that allows it to be angularly oriented from the vertical 
to direct the spray of oil away from top surface 75 and toward side 
surfaces 73 of upper housing 12. Furthermore, should certain compressor 
parts be disposed above the top end of crankshaft 18, as illustrated in 
FIG. 1, slinger 68 may be manufactured having a predetermined length which 
will insure opening 70 being above such parts, thereby preventing the 
existence of any obstruction in the path of the oil being slung by slinger 
68. 
To reiterate, slinger 68, due to its angular orientation relative to the 
rotational axis of crankshaft 18 and the increased effective radius of 
opening 70, is able to sling the oil against the surfaces 73 of upper 
housing 12. In addition, slinger 68 is bent to allow directional control 
of the spray path of the oil exiting opening 70 for various compressor 
models. 
It was earlier mentioned that cylinder head 48 experiences extremely high 
temperatures during the operation of compressor 8. This is primarily due 
to the temperature existing within the interior space of compressor 8 and 
the high temperatures produced within cylinder 38 upon compression of 
gaseous refrigerant. Conventional means to alleviate the extremely high 
temperatures experienced by cylinder head 48 include disposing a plurality 
of fins 78 on cylinder head 48 to conduct the heat energy therefrom to the 
interior space of compressor 8. In spite of this, cylinder head 48 may 
still remain at undesirable temperatures during the operation of 
compressor 8. 
To reduce the temperature of cylinder head 48, bleed holes 80 and 81 are 
disposed in the side of oil slinger tube 68, with bleed hole 80 facing 
radially outwardly therefrom. Because slinger 68 rotates with crankshaft 
18, bleed hole 80 will always rotate facing towards upper housing 12. This 
permits a portion of the oil traveling upwardly through slinger 68 to be 
slung generally horizontally, radially outwardly through bleed hole 80. As 
slinger 68 rotates past cylinder head 48, a spray of oil is slung from 
bleed hole 80 onto cylinder head for cooling purposes. Little oil is slung 
from hole 81 since it faces radially inwardly towards the rotational axis 
of crankshaft 18. Hole 81 is present only because of manufacturing 
expediency. 
To insure that a portion of the oil slung from bleed hole 80 flows over end 
portion 49 of cylinder head 48 and ribs 78 disposed thereon, a deflector 
and heat sink flange member 82 having slots 84 disposed in the surface 83 
thereof that faces tube 68 is vertically disposed on the top surface of 
cylinder head 48. Slots 84 extend through deflector 82. Consequently, upon 
slinger 68 rotating past cylinder head 48 a portion of oil is caught by 
deflector 82 and caused to flow over the surfaces of cylinder head 48 
adjacent valve plate 44, while at the same time allowing a remaining 
portion of the oil to pass through slots 84 and to flow over end portion 
49 of cylinder head 48 and ribs 78. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, deflector 82 is vertically disposed on the 
top surface portion of cylinder head 48 adjacent gasket 46. Deflector 82 
could be disposed on the top surface of cylinder head 48 adjacent end 
portion 49, however, due to the small confines generally existing between 
cylinder head 48 and upper housing 12, it has been found that deflector 82 
performs its desired function most efficiently when disposed adjacent 
gasket 46. Furthermore, deflector 82 is of a predetermined height and 
desirably disposed away from housing 10 to allow for production 
tolerences. 
While this invention has been described as having a specific embodiment, it 
will be understood that it is capable of further modification. This 
application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or 
adaptations of the invention following the general principles thereof, and 
including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known 
or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and fall 
within the limits of the appended claims.