Motor driven compressor

Abstract

A motor driven compressor which can use refrigerant sucked into a swash plate chamber of the compressor to efficiently cool an electric motor, in which a motor unit ( 10 ) has an electric motor ( 13 ) installed in an inside motor room ( 12 ) for rotating a drive shaft ( 14 ) and a compressor unit ( 20, 120 ) is installed at one side of the motor unit ( 10 ). The compressor unit ( 20, 120 ) comprises: a front housing ( 30, 130 ) having at least a discharge chamber ( 31, 131 ) therein; a rear housing ( 60, 160 ) having a suction chamber ( 61, 161 ) and a discharge chamber ( 62, 162 ) formed therein, the suction chamber ( 61, 161 ) being partitioned from the discharge chamber ( 62, 162 ), and a refrigerant discharge port ( 64, 164 ) formed at one side communicating with the discharge chamber ( 62, 162 ); a cylinder block coupled between the front housing ( 30, 130 ) and the rear housing ( 60, 160 ) and having a plurality bores ( 41 a and 42, 141 a and 142 a ) formed at both sides of the swash plate chamber ( 43, 143 ) and a refrigerant suction port ( 44, 144 ) formed at one side thereof; a swash plate ( 50, 150 ) placed in the swash plate chamber ( 43, 143 ) and coupled with the drive shaft ( 14 ) and a plurality of double head pistons ( 51, 151 ) for reciprocating within the bores ( 41 a and 42, 141 a and 142 a ) in cooperation with the rotation of the swash plate ( 50, 150 ); and feeding means ( 17, 45, 145 ) for feeding refrigerant from the swash plate chamber ( 43, 143 ) partially into the motor room ( 12 ) and partially into the suction chamber ( 61, 161 ) of the rear housing ( 60, 160 ).

1 - 11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . A motor driven compressor comprising: 
 a motor unit comprising an electric motor installed in an inside motor room for rotating a drive shaft; and    a compressor unit installed at one side of the motor unit, wherein the compressor unit comprises:    a front housing having at least a discharge chamber therein;    a rear housing having a suction chamber and a discharge chamber formed therein, the suction chamber being partitioned from the discharge chamber and a refrigerant discharge port formed at one side communicating with the discharge chamber;    a cylinder block coupled between the front housing and the rear housing and having a plurality bores formed at both sides of the swash plate chamber and a refrigerant suction port formed at one side thereof;    a swash plate placed in the swash plate chamber and coupled with the drive shaft and a plurality of double head pistons for reciprocating within the bores in cooperation with the rotation of the swash plate;    feeding means for feeding refrigerant from the swash plate chamber partially into the motor room and partially into the suction chamber of the rear housing and    the front housing further has suction passages for communicating the motor room to the bores to allow the suction of refrigerant supplied to the motor room into the bores of the cylinder block.    
   
   
       13 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the feeding means include first low pressure passages communicating the swash plate chamber to the motor room and a second low pressure passage for communicating the swash plate chamber to the suction chamber of the rear housing.  
   
   
       14 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 13 , wherein the first low pressure passages are formed through the front cylinder block and the front housing, and the second low pressure passage is formed through the rear cylinder block.  
   
   
       15 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the feeding means include a passage formed in the drive shaft for communicating the motor room to the suction chamber of the rear housing and inlet passages for communicating the swash plate chamber to the passage to allow the flow of refrigerant from the swash plate chamber toward the passage.  
   
   
       16 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 15 , wherein the inlet passages are formed through the drive shaft and a hub of the swash plate.  
   
   
       17 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 15 , wherein the inlet passages are formed in the drive shaft beyond a surface of the drive shaft coupling with the swash plate.  
   
   
       18 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the discharge chamber of the front housing is communicated with the discharge chamber, of the rear housing via a communication passageway formed through the cylinder block.  
   
   
       19 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the front housing further has a suction chamber partitioned from the discharge chamber.  
   
   
       20 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 12 , further comprising a suction muffler chamber formed at one side of the cylinder block, the suction muffler chamber is mounted with motor-controlling means on an upstream section where refrigerant is introduced into the swash plate chamber.  
   
   
       21 . The motor driven compressor according to  claim 20 , wherein the motor-controlling means comprises an inverter.