Abstract:
A refrigerating system including a refrigeration circuit and a scroll type compressor provided with two volume control mechanisms to allow the system to selectively perform full load operation and unloaded operation. The scroll type compressor includes two scroll members of known construction meshing with each other to define compression chambers and a suction chamber and is combined with the refrigeration circuit having an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, an indoor heat exchanger and a four-way change-over valve to provide a heat pump type refrigerating system. The volume control mechanisms each include a pair of bypass apertures in the fixed scroll member communicating with a valve chamber having a valve member slidably mounted therein and normally biased to an open position by a spring. The bypass apertures, of which one communicates with the suction chamber and the other communicates with one of the compression chambers, and the valve chamber constitute a bypass passageway. A pressure introducing pipe opens in the valve chamber. Upward movement of the valve member brings the two bypass apertures in communication with each other through the valve chamber to enable the system to perform a volume control operation. In another application, four volume control mechanisms are located symmetrically and divided into two blocks through a flow passage switching device to assign two mechanisms to one block. By this arrangement, the system is able to perform volume control operation in three stages, or able to operate selectively at maximum load, intermediate load and minimum load.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus provided with a scroll type compressor having a volume control mechanism. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A scroll fluid apparatus comprises an orbiting scroll member including an end plate and a wrap of an involute curve or a curve similar to the involute curve located in an upstanding position on the surface of the end plate, and a stationary scroll member including an end plate, a wrap of the same construction as that of the orbiting scroll member, a discharge port formed in the center of the end plate and a suction port formed in an outer peripheral portion, the orbiting and stationary scroll members being arranged in combination such that the surfaces of the respective end plates face each other with the wraps being in meshing engagement with each other. The apparatus further comprises a housing having a suction pipe and a discharge pipe connected thereto which usually contains the two scroll members. 
     An Oldham&#39;s ring is mounted between the orbiting scroll member and a frame or between the orbiting scroll member and the stationary scroll member for preventing the orbiting scroll member from rotating on its own axis, and the orbiting scroll member has a crank shaft in engagement therewith for moving the orbiting scroll member in orbiting movement while avoiding its rotation on its own axis, so as to compress gas in sealed spaces defined between the two scroll members and discharge the compressed gas via the discharge port. This type of scroll fluid apparatus serving as a scroll type compressor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,599, for example. 
     The flow rate of the gas may vary depending on the specific volume of the gas drawn by suction into a suction space and the maximum sealed volume of the gas that is transferred from the suction space to the discharge space. The maximum sealed volume being constant, the flow rate would remain constant if the specific volume of the gas were constant. 
     Some problems are encountered when the scroll type compressor of the aforesaid construction is used as a compressor of a heat pump type refrigerating system. That is, since the volume of the compressor is constant as described hereinabove, changes in load that occur when the system is switched between a cooling mode and a heating mode should be coped with by effecting on-off control of the compressor. 
     Also, the cooling/heating ratio of a refrigerating system is lower than the ratio of the cooling load to the heating load. Thus when a heat pump type refrigerating system is designed to comform to the cooling load, the volume would not be enough for performing a heating operation, so that an auxiliary heating source would be required for operating the system to effect space heating. 
     To meet the aforesaid requirements, a scroll type compressor provided with a volume control mechanism has been developed and laid open to public inspection as Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 28002/79, prior to the filing of this application. The specification of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 28002/79 discloses means for varying the suction air volume and the specific volume of the compressor by forming a groove on the surface of the end plate of the stationary scroll member for receiving therein a plunger which is moved in and out of the groove, to thereby provide a bypass passageway that can be opened and closed. However, there is no mention in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 28002/79 of a system for effecting volume control of this scroll type compressor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide a refrigerating system using a scroll type compressor wherein volume control of the scroll type compressor can be effected during operation in accordance with the load applied thereto when the system operates in a heating mode or a cooling mode as an air conditioning system so as to improve the energy efficiency of the air conditioning system. 
     Another object is to provide a refrigerating system using a scroll type compressor capable, when the refrigerating system functions as a heat pump type system for effecting space cooling and space heating, of varying the specific volume of the refrigerating system as the system is switched between a cooling mode and a heating mode, or more specifically capable of enabling the refrigerating system to automatically perform a full load operation in the heating mode and a volume control or unloaded operation in the cooling mode, thereby eliminating the need to use an auxiliary heating system, etc., in the heating mode. 
     A still another object is to provide a refrigerating system using a scroll type compressor wherein volume control operation is performed following startup of the scroll type compressor until the discharge pressure rises, to thereby reduce the electric input requirements at the time of startup. 
     The outstanding characteristic of the invention is that to accomplish the aforesaid objects, the scroll type compressor is provided with at least one volume control mechanism including bypass passageways communicating pressure chambers with a suction chamber, and a valve mounted in each of the bypass passageways to open and close the respective bypass passageway by actuating the valve. The compressor provided with this volume control mechanism is combined with an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, an indoor heat exchanger and a four-way changeover valve to provide a heat pump type refrigerating system, wherein high pressure fluid and low pressure fluid flowing in and through the refrigeration circuit are led to flow passageway switching means via branch lines, to selectively introduce pressurized fluid to the back of the valves of the volume control mechanism by actuating the flow passageway switching means, whereby volume control can be effected by actuating the valve. 
     An additional characteristic is that four volume control mechanisms are mounted in positions symmetrically disposed and grouped, through the agency of the flow switching means, into two blocks each group comprising two volume control mechanisms, so as to enable volume control operations to be performed in three stages. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be described in detail by referring to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows the heat pump type refrigerating system according to one embodiment including a scroll type compressor shown in a vertical sectional view and a refrigeration circuit connected to the scroll type compressor; 
     FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a scroll member portion of the scroll type compressor; 
     FIG. 3 shows in detail volume control mechanisms shown in a sectional view taken along the line III--III in FIG. 2, and a refrigerating circuit, in explanation of the operation of the volume control mechanisms; 
     FIG. 4 shows the manner in which the volume control mechanisms shown in FIG. 3 operate differently from the manner of operation shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the scroll member portion of the scroll compressor according to another embodiment; 
     FIG. 6 is a view showing the volume control mechanisms and the refrigeration circuit shown in FIG. 5 and a connection system thereof; and 
     FIGS. 7-10 are views showing the operations of the four-way changeover valve, the three-way change-over valve and the second four-way changeover valve, respectively, in relation to one another. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show a refrigerating system incorporating therein the scroll type compressor according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     The scroll type compressor comprises a closed vessel 1, a compressor section 2 contained in the closed vessel 1 and an electric motor section 3 also contained therein. The compressor section 2 is composed of a stationary scroll member 5 and an orbiting scroll member 6 in meshing engagement with each other to define therebetween a suction chamber 8 and compression chambers 9. The fixed scroll member 5 includes an end plate 5a of the disc shape, and a wrap 5b in the form of an involute curve or a curve similar thereto located on the surface of the end plate 5a in an upstanding position. The stationary scroll member 5 is formed with a discharge port 10 in the central portion and a suction port 7 in an outer peripheral portion. The orbiting scroll member 6 includes an end plate 6a of the disc shape, a wrap 6b of the same shape as the wrap 5b of the stationary scroll member 5 located on the surface of the end plate 6a in an upstanding position, and a boss 6c formed on the undersurface of the end plate 6a opposite the surface on which the wrap 6b is located. 
     A frame 11 has mounted in the central portion thereof a bearing section 11a for journaling a crank shaft 4 having attached to its forward end an off-center crank pin 4a which is inserted for rotation in the boss 6c. The frame 11 has the stationary scroll member 5 bolted thereto in several positions, and the orbiting scroll member 6 is supported by the frame 11 through an Oldham&#39;s joint comprising an Oldham&#39;s ring and an Oldham&#39;s key, for orbiting movement with respect to the stationary scroll member 5 without rotating on its own axis. 
     The crank shaft 4 has secured to its lower portion an electric motor shaft 4b having the electric motor section 3 secured thereto. 
     Volume control mechanisms 13 are mounted on the end plate 5a of the stationary scroll member 5 which are subsequently to be described in detail. The volume control mechanisms 13 have a pressure introducing pipe 14 connected to their undersurfaces. A suction pipe 15 is connected to the suction port 7 of the stationary scroll member 5 after penetrating the wall of the closed vessel 1, and a discharge chamber 1a in which the discharge port 10 opens is maintained in communication with a lower chamber 1b via a passageway 16 and with a discharge pipe 17 penetrating the wall of the closed vessel 1. 
     In the scroll type compressor of the aforesaid construction, rotation of the crank shaft 4 directly connected to the electric motor section 3 causes the crank pin 4a to rotate eccentrically, and the eccentric rotation thereof is transmitted via the boss 6c to the orbiting scroll member 6, to move the latter in orbiting movement. As the orbiting scroll member 6 moves in orbiting movement, the compression chambers 9 gradually moves toward the center and their volume is reduced. Gas is drawn by suction through the suction pipe 15 to the suction chamber 8 via the suction port 7, and discharged through the discharge port 10 into the discharge chamber 1a after being compressed as aforesaid, to flow through the passageway 16 into the lower chamber 1b before being discharged through the discharge pipe 17. 
     A refrigeration circuit connected to the scroll type compressor of the aforesaid construction will now be described. The suction pipe 15 and discharge pipe 17 are connected at their ends to two flow lines of a four-way change-over valve 20 which has additional two flow lines one of which is connected to an outdoor heat exchanger 21 via a line 31 and the other of which is connected to an indoor heat exchanger 22 via a line 32. The two heat exchangers 21 and 22 are connected to each other through a line 33 mounting an expansion valve 23. Thus, the heat pump type refrigeration circuit is formed. By switching the four-way change-over valve 20 to a condition indicated by solid lines, a circuit connecting the discharge pipe 17 of the scroll type compressor, four-way change-over valve 20, outdoor heat exchanger 21, expansion valve 23, indoor heat exchanger 22, four-way change-over valve 20 and the suction pipe 15 of the scroll type compressor is formed as indicated by solid line arrows to allow a refrigerant to flow in the indicated order. In this circuit, the outdoor heat exchanger 21 functions as a condenser and the indoor heat exchanger 22 functions as an evaporator to perform a cooling operation. Also, by switching it to a condition indicated by broken lines, a circuit connecting the discharge pipe 17 of the scroll type compressor, four-way change-over valve 20, indoor heat exchanger 22, expansion valve 23, outdoor heat exchanger 21, four-way change-over valve 20 and the suction pipe 15 of the scroll type compressor is formed as indicated by broken line arrows to allow the refrigerant to flow in the indicated order. In this circuit, the indoor heat exchanger 22 functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 21 functions as an evaporator to perform a heating operation. 
     The line 31 connecting the four-way change-over valve 20 to the outdoor heat exchanger 21 has a first branch line 34 connected thereto, and the line 32 connecting the four-way change-over valve 20 to the indoor heat exchanger 22 has a second branch line 35 connected thereto. The two branch lines 34 and 35 are connected at their ends to a first flow line and a second flow line of a three-way change-over valve 24 respectively, and a third flow line of the valve 24 is connected to the pressure introducing pipe 14. By actuating the three-way change-over valve 24, one of the two branch lines 34 and 35 can be selectively connected to the pressure introducing pipe 14. 
     The volume control mechanisms 13 will be described by referring to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the compressor section 2 of the scroll type compressor shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows the volume control mechanisms in a sectional view taken along the line III--III in FIG. 2 and a refrigeration circuit connected to the volume control mechanisms. 
     Bypass apertures 41a and 41b are formed on opposite sides of the wrap 5b on the end plate 5a of the stationary scroll member 5 and spaced apart from each other radially of the member 5, and radially spaced apart bypass apertures 42a and 42b are formed on opposite sides of the wrap 5b in positions on the end plate 5a which are in point symmetry with respect to the positions in which the bypass apertures 41a and 41b are formed. The two sets of bypass apertures 41a and 41b and 42a and 42b communicate with valve chambers 43a and 43b respectively on the undersurface, so that one set of bypass apertures and one valve chamber constitute a bypass passageway. The valve chambers 43a and 43b have valves 44 each mounted in one of the valve chambers for axial sliding movement and urged by a spring 45 of a suitable resilience to move upwardly. The valve chambers 43a and 43b are each closed by a plug 45 at the outside which is connected to the pressure introducing pipe 14 opening in the chambers 43a and 43b. Upward movement of the valves 44 brings the bypass apertures 41a and 41b and 42a and 42b into communications with each other through the valve chambers 43a and 43b respectively, to enable volume control or unloaded operation to be performed. 
     With the bypass apertures 41a and 41b and 42a and 42b being in communication with each other, the compression chambers 9 and 9&#39; communicate with a first suction chamber 8 and no compression of the gas takes place, and compression is initiated after the two contact points and a&#39; of the two wraps 5b and 6b have passed by the bypass apertures 41a and 42a. That is, the maximum sealed volume is reduced and an unloaded condition is brought about. Downward movement of the valves 44 closes the bypass apertures, to thereby enable full load operation to be performed. 
     In the illustrated refrigeration circuit, the first branch line 34 handles discharge pressure and the second branch line 35 handles suction pressure in a cooling operation in which the refrigerant flows in the direction indicated by the solid line arrows. When the four-way change-over valve 20 is switched to the condition indicated by the broken lines to cause the refrigerant to flow in the direction indicated by the broken line arrows to perform a heating operation, the second branch line 35 handles discharge pressure and the first branch line 34 handles suction pressure. In a cooling mode in which the four-way change-over valve 20 is switched to the condition indicated by the solid lines as shown, the discharge pressure handled by the first branch line 34 is cut off and the suction pressure handled by the second branch line 35 is transmitted to the pressure introducing pipe 14 to allow the suction pressure to act on the backs of the valves 44. Acting on the valves 44 are pressures in the suction chamber 8 and the compression chamber 9 passed through the bypass apertures 41a, 41b and 42a, 42b which are of the same value as the back pressure applied to the valves 44, so that the valves 44 are biased upwardly by the springs 45 to bring the system to an unloaded condition. If the three-way change-over valve 24 is switched to the condition indicated by the broken lines in a cooling mode, then the discharge pressure handled by the first branch line 34 acts on the backs of the valves 44 through the pressure introducing pipe 14 as shown in FIG. 4, so that the back pressure overcomes the pressures acting on the valves 44 through the bypass apertures 41a, 41b and 42a, 42b and the biasing forces of the springs 45. This biases the valves 44 downwardly, to bring the system to the full load condition. When the four-way change-over valve 20 is switched to the condition indicated by the broken lines in a heating mode, the system is brought to full load operation if the three-way change-over valve 24 is switched to the condition indicated by the solid lines (as opposed to the condition to which the valve is switched in a cooling mode) and it is brought to an unloaded operation if the three-way change-over valve 24 is brought to the condition as indicated by the broken lines (as opposed to the condition to which the valve is switched in a cooling mode). 
     It will be appreciated that by switching the three-way change-over valve 24 in accordance with the operation load both in cooling and heating modes, it is possible to switch the refrigerating system to a full load operation or unloaded operation. 
     If the four-way change-over valve 20 is switched to the condition indicated by the solid lines in a cooling mode or to the condition indicated by the broken lines in a heating mode while the three-way change-over valve 24 is kept in the condition indicated by the solid lines as shown in FIG. 3, then the refrigerating system is automatically switched to full load operation in a heating mode and to unloaded operation in a cooling mode. Thus, it is possible to perform unloaded operation by reducing the volume of the refrigerant in the refrigerating system in a cooling mode as compared with the operation in a heating mode, without requiring to perform an additional operation. 
     When the scroll type compressor is shut down, the high pressure and the low pressure in the refrigeration circuit become balanced and the back pressure led to the valves through the pressure introducing pipe 14 becomes same in value as the pressures acting in the bypass passageways. Thus, the system is brought to unloaded condition at the time of startup at all times. Stated differently, the system remains in unloaded condition until the discharge pressure rises following startup even if the three-way change-over valve 24 has been switched to full load operation condition. Thus, it is possible to reduce starting load and reduce electric input at startup. 
     FIGS. 5-10 show another embodiment. The embodiment described by referring to FIGS. 1-4 has a pair of (two) volume control mechanisms in a scroll type compressor for performing volume control in one stage. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-10 is provided with two pairs of (four) volume control mechanisms, to enable volume control to be carried out in a plurality of stages. 
     FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the compressor section in the same position as that shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 5, the volume control mechanisms generally indicated by 51a and 51b are formed in the same positions and of the same construction as the volume control mechanisms 13 described by referring to FIGS. 2 and 3. Description of the details thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, additional two volume control mechanisms 52a and 52b are provided. The volume control mechanisms generally indicated by 52a and 52b are of the same construction as those described hereinabove and located in positions intermediate between the volume control mechanisms 51a and 51b. 
     In FIG. 6, the scroll type compressor which is generally indicated by 101, and it is to be understood that the volume control mechanisms 51a, 51b, 52a and 52b are built in the scroll type compressor 101. The discharge pipe 17 and the suction pipe 15 of the scroll type compressor 101 are connected to one flow line of the four-way change-over valve 20 which has the other flow line thereof connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 21, expansion valve 23 and indoor heat exchanger 22 in the indicated order to provide a refrigeration circuit. The first branch line 34 is connected to the line 31 and the second branch line 35 is connected to the line 32, and the two branch lines 34 and 35 are connected at the other ends to the three-way change-over valve 24. This construction is analogous to that in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-10 is distinct from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in the construction presently to be described. 
     The three-way change-over valve 24 has another switching flow line which is connected via a line 61 to a first flow line of a second four-way change-over valve 53, and the second branch line 35 is connected via a line 62 to a second flow line of the second four-way change-over valve 53. Lines 63 and 64 are connected to third and fourth flow lines respectively of the second four-way change-over valve 53, and the other ends of the lines 63 and 64 are connected to a pressure switching valve 70 which has a drive chamber 72 and a follower chamber 73 separated by a partition wall 71, the drive chamber 72 having apertures formed at opposite ends thereof to have the lines 63 and 64 connected therein. The follower chamber 73 has apertures formed at opposite ends and in the central portion, the apertures at the opposite ends having connected in parallel therein branch lines obtained by branching a high pressure line 17a connected to the discharge pipe 17 and the aperture in the central portion having connected therein a low pressure line 15a connected to the suction pipe 15. 
     The drive chamber 72 has a drive piston 74 arranged therein, and the follower chamber 73 has a follower piston 75 and a balance piston 76 arranged therein. These pistons are interlockingly connected, as shown, to a rod 80 penetrating the partition wall 71. The drive piston 74 has a spring 79 mounted therein. The balance piston 76 is intended to have the same pressure applied thereto to avoid rightward movement of the follower piston 75. 
     When the drive piston 74 is in its intermediate position, passageways 77 and 78 separated from each other by the follower piston 75 open on opposite sides of the follower piston 75. The passageways 77 and 78 have connected thereto pressure introducing pipes 67 and 68 respectively which each branch off at the forward end to have the four volume control mechanism connected thereto in two blocks each having two mechanisms. That is, the volume control mechanisms 51a and 51b are connected to one pressure introducing pipe 67, and the volume control mechanisms 52a and 52b are connected to the other pressure introducing pipe 68. 
     When the volume control mechanisms 51a, 51b,  52a and 52b are all closed, the system operates at full load, and when the pair of volume control mechanisms 51a and 51b open and the other pair of volume control mechanisms 52a and 52b are closed, the system operates at intermediate load. With all the volume control mechanisms 51a, 51b, 52a and 52n being open, the system operates at minimum load. 
     Operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-10 will be described. The four-way change-over valve 20 is switched to the condition indicated by solid lines, the three-way change-over valve 24 is switched to the condition indicated by solid lines and the second four-way change-over valve 53 is switched to the condition indicated by solid lines. That is, when the valves 20, 24 and 53 are in conditions as shown in FIG. 6, pressure acting on opposite ends of the drive piston 74 is low in value to place the drive piston 74 in the indicated position and the follower piston 75 in an intermediate position as shown. Thus, the gas of high pressure handled by the high pressure line 17a is led to the pressure introducing pipe 68 via a chamber disposed leftwardly of the piston 75 to cause high pressure to act on the backs of the valves of the volume control mechanisms 52a, and 52b, to close the bypass passageway. Meanwhile the gas of low pressure handled by the low pressure line 15a is led to the pressure introducing line 67 via a chamber rightwardly of the piston 75 to cause low pressure to act on the backs of the valves of the volume control mechanisms 51a and 51b, to open another bypass passageway. Thus, the refrigerating system operates at intermediate load. 
     When the three-way change-over valve 24 is switched (or has been switched) to the solid line position as shown in FIG. 6, the same pressure acts on the opposite ends of the drive piston 74 and the pistons are moved to intermediate positions, no matter what positions the two four-way change-over valves 20 and 53 have been moved to, or the four-way change-over valve 20 is switched to the solid line position in space cooling mode or to the broken line position in space heating mode or the four-way change-over valve 53 is switched either to the solid line position or to the broken line position. Thus, the volume control mechanisms 51a and 51b are open and the volume control mechanisms 52a and 52b are closed, to enable the system to operate at intermediate load. 
     When high pressure acts on a left chamber 74a of the drive piston 74 and low pressure acts on a right chamber 74b of the drive piston 74, the drive piston 74 moves rightwardly and the follower piston 75 linked thereto also moves rightwardly, to bring the pressure introducing lines 67 and 68 into communication with the high pressure line 17a. As a result, high pressure is applied to the backs of all the valves of the volume control mechanisms 51a, 51b, 52a and 52b, to close all the bypass passageways and allow the system to operate at full load. 
     Conversely, when low pressure acts on the left chamber 74a of the drive piston 74 and high pressure acts on the right chamber 74a thereof, the piston 74 is moved leftwardly, to bring the pressure introducing lines 67 and 68 into communication with the low pressure line 15a. As a result, low pressure acts on all the volume control mechanisms 51a, 51b, 52a and 52b to open all the bypass passageways and allow the system to operate at minimum load. 
     Thus, the refrigerating system can be made to operate at full load and minimum load in both space cooling and space heating modes by switching the second four-way change-over valve 53. 
     FIGS. 7-10 show various positions to which the change-over valves are switched. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the four-way change-over valve 20 is switched to the positions indicated by solid lines in a space cooling mode. In the event that the three-way change-over valve 24 is switched to the position indicated by broken lines, the system can be made to operate at full load by switching the second four-way change-over valve 53 to the position indicated by solid lines as shown in FIG. 7 and can be made to operate at a minimum load by switching the valve 53 to the position indicated by broken lines as shown in FIG. 8. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 show the four-way change-over valve 20 switched to the position indicated by broken lines in a space heating mode. By switching the second four-way change-over valve 53 to the position indicated by broken lines as shown in FIG. 9, the system can be made to operate at full load by switching the valve 53 to the position indicated by solid lines as shown in FIG. 10, the system can be made to operate at minimum load. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the back pressure acting on the volume control mechanisms 51a, 51b, 52a and 52b is obtained from the discharge pressure and suction pressure of the scroll type compressor via the high pressure line 17a and the low pressure line 15a. However, oil pressure may be introduced through a high pressure oil line 81 and a low pressure oil line 82 indicated by broken lines, to use the oil pressure as back pressure to be applied to the volume control mechanisms to actuate the valves.