A refrigerator compressor protector of flame retardant structure

Abstract

The utility model discloses a refrigerator compressor protector of flame -retardant structure, including casing (2) and apron (1). Casing (2) and apron (1) are made with flame -retardant material, and realize reliable fixed through metal fastening connection structure, to promote the structural stability under high temperature or abnormal working condition. The joint edge of casing (2) and apron (1) is provided with isolation structure, is used for blocking the abnormal arc that inside can produce outward leakage, enhances the electrical safety of whole. Casing (2) or apron (1) is provided with guide structure and / or limit structure (4), is used for realizing quick alignment and position limit in the installation process, improves assembly accuracy. The utility model through the comprehensive design of flame -retardant material, metal fastening mode and isolation and positioning structure, has improved the high temperature resistance, reliability and use safety of refrigerator compressor protector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a protector, specifically a refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure. Background Technology

[0002] Refrigerator compressors require a thermal protector during operation to promptly disconnect the circuit in case of abnormal current, excessive temperature rise, or short circuit, thus protecting the compressor coils and electrical system. Existing compressor thermal protectors typically consist of a base, bimetallic strip, spring assembly, heating element assembly, pin assembly, stationary pin assembly, and housing. The housing plays a crucial role in structural stability and high-temperature resistance.

[0003] In existing technologies, the casing of the protector is typically made of a mixture of bakelite (phenolic plastic) and other engineering plastics. The casing itself is often made of bakelite, while the cover is often made of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or similar heat-resistant engineering plastics. However, materials like PBT are prone to softening, deformation, and even carbonization at high temperatures, making it difficult to maintain structural strength and positional stability when the compressor overheats or an electric arc occurs. When an overcurrent or short circuit occurs within the protector's internal components, generating an electric arc, the insufficient flame retardancy of the casing material may lead to localized carbonization, melting, or even ignition of the casing, thus affecting the protector's safety and reliability.

[0004] Furthermore, the cover plate and housing of existing protectors mostly use a plastic fastening structure. When the protector is exposed to high temperatures for a long time or experiences abnormal temperature rise, the fastening force in the plastic fastening area is prone to decrease due to thermal expansion or material softening, resulting in loosening, misalignment, or even detachment. This affects the overall mechanical strength and sealing performance, further increasing the risk of arc leakage and component exposure.

[0005] In addition, some traditional structures lack effective isolation design at the joint between the shell and the cover plate. When an electric arc erupts inside the protector, it may leak out along the joint, causing damage to surrounding components or even creating a localized combustion hazard. At the same time, because the overall structure of the outer shell has not been optimized, some protectors lack reliable installation guide and limiting structures during compressor assembly, resulting in inaccurate positioning, low installation efficiency, and a tendency for assembly deviations.

[0006] Therefore, existing refrigerator compressor thermal protectors still have shortcomings in terms of high temperature resistance, flame retardant safety, shell connection stability, arc isolation capability, and installation reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention provides a refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure, which improves the flame-retardant properties of the material, enhances the stability of the shell structure, reduces the risk of arc leakage, and features an improved protector structure with higher assembly precision.

[0008] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: a refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure, comprising a housing and a cover plate. The shell and the cover plate are made of flame-retardant materials and are fixedly connected by a metal fastening connection structure. The joint edge between the housing and the cover plate is provided with an isolation structure to prevent abnormal internal electric arcs from leaking outwards; The housing or cover plate is provided with a guide structure and / or a limiting structure for assisting installation and positioning.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution, both the housing and the cover plate are made of phenolic molding compound material.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution, the metal fastening connection structure includes a stainless steel buckle, or at least one of a rivet connection structure and a screw connection structure.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution, the isolation structure is a concave-convex isolation structure formed by the interlocking of the shell and the cover plate, which is used to extend the potential arc discharge path and block its outward ejection.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution, the installation guide structure includes one or a combination of a guide groove, a guide protrusion, or a guide ridge provided along the edge of the housing.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution, the limiting structure includes at least one of a limiting protrusion, a limiting plate, or a limiting shoulder, used to limit the assembly position of the cover plate and the housing.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution, the isolation structure includes a recessed portion on the housing assembly surface and a protrusion on the cover plate assembly surface. During installation, the protrusion and the recessed portion engage with each other.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: First, both the shell and the cover plate are made of phenolic molding compound as the main material. This material has a high heat resistance temperature and non-flammable properties. Compared with the traditional protector that uses PBT as the cover plate material, this utility model can still maintain stable physical properties in long-term high-temperature working environment and abnormal heating conditions, and will not soften, melt or be ignited, thereby greatly improving the overall flame retardant safety level. Second, a concave-convex isolation structure is set in the joint area between the housing and the cover plate, so that the arc that may occur inside is blocked in the jet path or the discharge channel is extended, which significantly reduces the risk of arc leakage to the outside of the housing and causing damage to surrounding components or local combustion, thereby enhancing the overall electrical safety of the protector. Third, by incorporating installation guide and limiting structures on the housing or cover plate, the protector can automatically align itself during compressor assembly, quickly entering the correct installation position, reducing installation deviations, and improving assembly stability. This structure not only improves production efficiency but also reduces the probability of misassembly and rework during manual assembly. Attached Figure Description To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the explosive structure of this utility model. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the explosive structure of this utility model. Figure 2 ; Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 2. Housing; 1. Cover plate; 3. Stainless steel buckle; 5. Recess; 6. Protrusion; 4. Guide structure and / or limiting structure. Detailed Implementation

[0017] All features disclosed in this specification, or steps in all methods or processes disclosed herein, may be combined in any way, except for mutually exclusive features and / or steps.

[0018] Any feature disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by other equivalent or similar features for a similar purpose, unless specifically stated otherwise. That is, unless specifically stated otherwise, each feature is merely one example of a series of equivalent or similar features.

[0019] like Figures 1-3As shown, this embodiment provides a refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure, the overall structure of which includes a housing 2 and a cover plate 1. The housing 2 serves as the mounting base for the internal electrical components, and the cover plate 1 is used to enclose a sealed protective cavity together with the housing 2. In order to improve the structural stability and safety of the entire protector in high-temperature environments, both the housing 2 and the cover plate 1 are made of flame-retardant materials, and are reliably fixed by a metal fastening connection structure during assembly, so that the housing remains firmly connected under long-term thermal stress and potential abnormal electric arc, and will not loosen, warp, or separate.

[0020] In the specific structure, the shell 2 and the cover plate 1 are preferably made of phenolic molding compound. This material has characteristics such as high temperature resistance, non-combustibility, and high insulation performance, which can effectively avoid the shortcomings of traditional PBT cover plates 1 in softening and deformation at high temperatures, allowing the protector to maintain its intact shell shape even when the compressor temperature rises, the internal heating element operates frequently, or abnormal current occurs. Phenolic molding compound does not drip molten material before thermal decomposition and does not produce a combustion-supporting effect, thus playing an important role in suppressing secondary risks caused by high temperature or electric arc.

[0021] To further improve the connection reliability between the housing 2 and the cover plate 1, a metal fastening connection structure is used as the fixing method. The metal fasteners may include at least one of the following: stainless steel clips 3, rivet connection structures, or screw connection structures. Stainless steel clips 3 provide quick engagement and high holding force, ensuring the cover plate 1 is stably pressed onto the housing 2 after installation. Rivet structures are suitable for scenarios requiring permanent connections; the metal rivets penetrate the mating surface, creating radial expansion and maintaining a consistently tight connection. Screw connection structures are suitable for applications with high disassembly and maintenance requirements, achieving reliable fixing through threaded locking. The metal fasteners do not deform significantly when heated, making the overall housing structure more stable than plastic fasteners under temperature rise conditions.

[0022] Considering that the protector may generate a short-term electric arc during operation, this embodiment provides an isolation structure at the joint edge of the housing 2 and the cover plate 1 to prevent the leakage of abnormal internal electric arcs. This isolation structure is a concave-convex isolation structure formed by the interlocking of the housing 2 and the cover plate 1. A recessed portion 5 is provided on the mounting surface of the housing 2, and a corresponding protrusion 6 is provided on the mounting surface of the cover plate 1, so that when the cover plate 1 is assembled, the protrusion 6 enters into the recessed portion 5 of the housing 2 to form a fastening.

[0023] The concave-convex contact interface effectively extends the discharge path that the electric arc may take. When an instantaneous electric arc is generated inside, the arc must cross multiple zigzag or stepped barrier surfaces to reach the outside, thus significantly reducing the possibility of the arc jet penetrating the outer shell. This concave-convex isolation structure also improves the sealing performance between the shell 2 and the cover plate 1, making the overall flame-retardant protection effect of the shell more reliable.

[0024] To improve the assembly efficiency of the protector during compressor installation, an installation guide structure is provided on the housing 2 or the cover plate 1. The installation guide structure may include at least one of a guide groove, a guide protrusion, or a guide ridge provided along the edge of the housing 2. The guide groove provides a clear assembly trajectory for the housing 2, allowing the cover plate 1 to be pushed in a specific direction for positioning; the guide protrusion can cooperate with corresponding notches on the housing 2 to form a sliding positioning structure, making the assembly process more automatically aligned. The guide ribs, with their protruding linear reinforcing ribs, form the assembly boundary, enabling workers to quickly determine the orientation and install the protector in the correct position during installation. Through the cooperation of these guiding structures, the installation speed of the protector on the compressor is significantly increased, while reducing rework problems caused by incorrect assembly orientation and positional deviations.

[0025] After the guiding and positioning are completed, to ensure that the protector will not shift its position due to vibration, thermal expansion and contraction, or external forces during use, this embodiment also provides a limiting structure to restrict the final assembly position of the cover plate 1 and the housing 2. The limiting structure may include at least one of a limiting protrusion, a limiting locking platform, or a limiting shoulder. For example, the limiting protrusion can be locked into the corresponding limiting hole after the cover plate 1 is assembled in place, preventing the cover plate 1 from moving further; The limiting plate, by forming a stepped structure at the edge of the housing 2, limits the cover plate 1 to a precise stopping position after it is pressed in. The limiting shoulder, by forming a lateral stop at the mating surface, prevents the cover plate 1 from being pushed further after reaching a specified depth. The limiting structure ensures the consistency and repeatability of assembly and also improves the structural stability of the protector under long-term operating conditions.

[0026] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions conceived without inventive effort should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure, comprising a housing (2) and a cover plate (1), characterized in that: The shell (2) and the cover plate (1) are made of flame-retardant material and are fixedly connected by a metal fastening connection structure; The joint edge of the housing (2) and the cover plate (1) is provided with an isolation structure for preventing the leakage of abnormal internal electric arcs to the outside; The housing (2) or cover plate (1) is provided with a guide structure and / or a limiting structure (4) for assisting installation and positioning.

2. The refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the housing (2) and the cover plate (1) are made of phenolic molding compound.

3. The refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal fastening connection structure includes a stainless steel buckle (3), or at least one of a rivet connection structure and a screw connection structure.

4. The refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The isolation structure is a concave-convex isolation structure formed by the interlocking of the shell (2) and the cover plate (1), which is used to extend the potential arc discharge path and block its outward ejection.

5. The refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide structure includes one or a combination of a guide groove, a guide protrusion, or a guide ridge disposed along the edge of the housing (2).

6. The refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting structure includes at least one of a limiting protrusion, a limiting plate, or a limiting shoulder, used to limit the assembly position of the cover plate (1) and the housing (2).

7. The refrigerator compressor protector with a flame-retardant structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The isolation structure includes a recess (5) on the mounting surface of the housing (2) and a protrusion (6) on the mounting surface of the cover plate (1). During installation, the protrusion (6) and the recess (5) engage with each other.

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