Outer shell structure of scroll compressor for fuel cell

Abstract

A scroll compressor for a fuel a cell which vibrates little and is compact in size. The scroll compressor includes a front housing formed integrally with a stationary scroll, a center housing molded as a unitary structure coupled to the front housing and covering at least a portion of a drive crank mechanism and a portion of a drive motor, and a rear housing coupled to the center housing and covering the rear side of the drive motor. The front housing, the center housing and the rear housing form an outer shell of the compressor. The center housing that is molded as a unitary structure helps markedly increase the rigidity as a whole, and suppresses the vibration of the scroll compressor for a fuel cell.

1 . A scroll compressor for a fuel cell, comprising: 
 a stationary scroll having a stationary base plate portion and a stationary spiral wall portion standing on said stationary base plate portion;    a movable scroll having a movable base plate portion and a movable spiral wall portion standing on said movable base plate and arranged in mesh with said stationary scroll;    a drive motor having a motor shaft;    a drive crank mechanism arranged in association with the motor shaft for orbiting said movable scroll;    said stationary scroll and said movable scroll defining a compression chamber to compress a gas which is to be fed to an electrode of a fuel cell;    a front housing integrally formed with said stationary scroll;    a center housing of a unitary structure coupled to said front housing to cover at least a portion of said drive crank mechanism and a portion of said drive motor; and    a rear housing coupled to said center housing and covering the rear side of said drive motor, said front housing, said center housing and said rear housing forming an outer shell of the compressor.    
     
     
         2 . A scroll compressor for a fuel cell according to  claim 1 , wherein said center housing includes a support frame for rotatably supporting the motor shaft.  
     
     
         3 . A scroll compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein said center housing entirely covers said drive motor.  
     
     
         4 . A scroll compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein said front housing covers said movable scroll.  
     
     
         5 . A scroll compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein said drive crank mechanism comprises an eccentric portion of the motor shaft, which is rotatably coupled to the movable scroll.