Motor protector mounting device and hermetic electric compressor

Abstract

A device for attaching a motor protector comprises a housing member and a fixing member to which the housing member, which houses the motor protector, is detachably attached. The fixing member has a pedestal and at least two arms. The two arms grip and hold the housing member when the housing member is pushed inside the two arms. The fixing member also has an auxilliary portion that passes through an auxilliary portion insertion hole provided in the housing member and protrudes to the inside of the housing member at a position where the housing member is sandwiched by the arms when the fixing member is extended toward the housing member from the pedestal and the housing member is fitted to the fixing member, and that applies an elastic force to the housing member to restrict movement of the housing member when the housing member has moved in a direction parallel to the pedestal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a mounting device for a motor protector and a hermetic motor compressor.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a motor built into a hermetic motor compressor, particularly a three-phase motor, may be equipped with a motor protector to protect the motor from burnout due to abnormal current. This type of motor protector is connected to the neutral point of a three-phase star connection inside the hermetic motor compressor. The motor protector includes a thermal response plate that operates based on the ambient temperature inside the compressor and heat generated by the current flowing through the motor protector. The operation of this thermal response plate opens the circuit and cuts off the power supply to all the windings of the motor, that is, the power lines.

[0003] Conventionally, such a motor protector has been attached by covering the motor protector with a sleeve made of insulating resin and tying it to the motor winding. However, such an attachment operation is complicated and has poor work efficiency. Also, with such an attachment method, since the motor protector is covered with a sleeve, the cooling efficiency of the motor protector by the refrigerant is low, and the temperature of the motor protector easily rises even with heat from normal operating current. Therefore, it is necessary to set the operating temperature of the thermal response plate higher than the upper limit temperature of the motor, but doing so reduces the responsiveness to abnormal current during low-temperature startup.

[0004] Therefore, a method is considered in which the motor protector is housed in a partially open resin case, and the case is attached to a fitting welded to the compressor container, for example, by a so-called snap fit. According to this, since the motor protector is not completely covered by the sleeve, the cooling efficiency of the motor protector can be improved, and the workability can be improved by using snap fit for attachment.

[0005] However, in the case of the above mounting method, when the motor protector becomes large and heavy, it is easily affected by the vibration of the motor. As a result, the motor protector itself and the case containing the motor protector are likely to shake significantly. Then, the case and the motor protector are likely to fall off, and the connecting wires pulled due to the shaking are more likely to be damaged by friction. Therefore, the conventional mounting method using the above-mentioned metal fittings and case has been limited to the application to relatively small and lightweight motor protectors.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] This embodiment has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to improve the responsiveness of the motor protector and the mounting workability, and to provide a mounting device for a motor protector that is not easily affected by vibrations or the like even for a relatively large and heavy motor protector, and a hermetic electric compressor including the mounting device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The mounting device for the motor protector according to the embodiment is a mounting device for attaching a thermal-responsive motor protector for protecting a motor built in a hermetic electric compressor to a compressor container of the hermetic electric compressor. The mounting device for the motor protector includes a housing member made of a material having electrical insulation properties and capable of housing the motor protector in a state where a part around the motor protector is open, and a fixing member fixed to the inner surface of the compressor container and to which the housing member housing the motor protector is detachably attached and capable of fixing the housing member to the inner surface of the compressor container. The fixing member has a pedestal portion formed in a plate shape facing the inner surface of the compressor container, and at least two arm portions provided at positions sandwiching both outer sides of the housing member and extending from the pedestal portion toward the housing member side. When the housing member is pushed into the inner sides of the two arm portions, at least one of the two arm portions elastically opens in a direction away from the other to receive the housing member, and when the housing member is pushed into a predetermined position, the housing member is sandwiched and held between the two arm portions by the restoring force of the elastically opened arm portions. The fixing member further has an auxiliary portion that extends from the pedestal portion toward the housing member side, passes through an insertion hole for the auxiliary portion provided in the housing member when the housing member is attached to the fixing member, protrudes inside the housing member and at a position sandwiching the housing member with the arm portions, and applies an elastic force to the housing member when the housing member moves in a direction parallel to the pedestal portion to restrict the movement of the housing member.

[0009] Further, the hermetic electric compressor according to the embodiment includes an airtight compressor container, a compression mechanism provided in the compressor container for compressing and discharging a refrigerant, a motor provided in the compressor container for driving the compression mechanism, a motor protector provided in the compressor container and connected to a power line of the motor, and the above-described mounting device for the motor protector for attaching the motor protector to the inner surface of the compressor container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a motor protector mounting device and a hermetic motor compressor to which the mounting device is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. The mounting device 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the like is for mounting a motor protector 80 on the inner surface of a compressor container 91 of a hermetic motor compressor 90, as shown in FIG. 11 for example. The motor protector 80 shown in FIG. 11 and the like is a thermal-responsive type motor protector for protecting a motor 93 built in the hermetic motor compressor 90, for example. The motor protector 80 is suitable for a motor built in a hermetic electric compressor used in, for example, an air conditioner or the like, particularly a three-phase motor. The motor protector 80 is used, for example, by being connected to the neutral point of a three-phase motor.

[0012] When a predetermined abnormal current flows through the motor protector 80 and generates heat, or when the motor 93 itself generates heat due to some abnormality, and as a result, the ambient temperature rises to a predetermined temperature, the motor protector 80 operates to open the circuit. Thereby, the motor protector 80 has a function of cutting off the neutral point of the motor 93 and interrupting the power supply to all the windings of the motor 93, that is, the power lines.

[0013] The motor protector 80 is mounted on the inner surface of the compressor container 91 using the mounting device 10. The mounting device 10 includes tab terminals 11, 12, 13, a housing member 20, and a fixing member 30, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. In the case of this embodiment, the mounting device 10 includes three tab terminals 11, 12, 13.

[0014] The tab terminals 11, 12, 13 are formed by bending a metal plate member. Two of the three tab terminals 11, 12 are fixed to the housing member 20 in a state of passing through the housing member 20, and the portions inserted inside the housing member 20 are welded to the terminals of the motor protector 80. Also, the remaining one tab terminal 13 is welded to the outside of the bottom surface of the motor protector 80 without being fixed to the housing member 20. And each tab terminal 11, 12, 13 is connected to the neutral point of the motor winding, that is, the power line. In this case, the motor protector 80 is fixed to the housing member 20 via the tab terminals 11, 12.

[0015] The housing member 20 is made of a material having electrical insulation properties and is configured to be able to house the motor protector 80 with a part of the periphery of the motor protector 80 open. The housing member 20 is formed, for example, in a container shape capable of housing the motor protector 80. The housing member 20 can be made of a resin material having electrical insulation properties and heat resistance, such as engineering plastic. The housing member 20 is formed in a box shape excluding a part of the surface of a hexahedron as a whole.

[0016] In the case of the present embodiment, the housing member 20 is formed in a shape excluding two adjacent rectangular surfaces of a rectangular parallelepiped, that is, a shape having four wall portions 21, 22, 23, and 24. In the present embodiment, the four wall portions 21, 22, 23, and 24 may be referred to as a first wall portion 21, a second wall portion 22, a third wall portion 23, and a fourth wall portion 24, respectively. In this case, the shape of the housing member 20 projected onto the inner surface of the compressor container 91, that is, the shape in a plan view, is rectangular.

[0017] The first wall portion 21 extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing member 20 and is a wall portion that faces the inner surface of the compressor container 91 when attached to the compressor container 91. In this case, the first wall portion 21 constitutes the bottom surface or the top surface in the housing member 20. The second wall portion 22 extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing member 20 and intersects the first wall portion 21 at a right angle as shown in FIG. 1 and the like. In this case, the second wall portion 22 constitutes a side surface extending in the longitudinal direction in the housing member 20. The third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 are wall portions that intersect both the first wall portion 21 and the second wall portion 22 at a right angle. In this case, the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 constitute side surfaces located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing member 20 and face each other.

[0018] The fixing member 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the compressor container 91, for example, by welding, and has a function of detachably fixing the housing member 20 that houses the motor protector 80 to the inner surface of the compressor container 91. The fixing member 30 can be configured to include a pressing member 40 and a main body member 50. The pressing member 40 and the main body member 50 can be configured by, for example, metal fittings. In this case, the pressing member 40 and the main body member 50 can be configured as separate bodies made of different types of metals. For example, the pressing member 40 can be made of a steel plate, and the main body member 50 can be made of a thin spring material made of stainless steel. Also, the pressing member 40 and the main body member 50 can be configured as separate bodies made of the same type of metal, or can be integrally configured with the same type of metal.

[0019] The pressing member 40 is configured by, for example, a plate-shaped member made of metal. The pressing member 40 is fixed to the inner surface of the compressor container 91, such as by welding, with the main body member 50 sandwiched between the pressing member 40 and the inner surface of the compressor container 91. Thereby, the pressing member 40 presses and fixes the main body member 50 to the inner surface of the compressor container 91.

[0020] The main body member 50 can be configured by, for example, a metal plate-shaped member such as a leaf spring. The main body member 50 has a pedestal portion 51, a first elastic portion 521, a second elastic portion 522, at least two arm portions 53, and at least two auxiliary portions 54. The pedestal portion 51, the first elastic portion 521, the second elastic portion 522, the arm portions 53, and the auxiliary portions 54 are integrally configured, for example, by punching and bending a stainless steel plate.

[0021] The pedestal portion 51 is formed in a rectangular plate shape and is a portion that faces the inner surface of the compressor container 91 when attached to the inner surface of the compressor container 91 by the pressing member 40. The pedestal portion 51 has an opening 511. The opening 511 is formed to penetrate the central portion of the pedestal portion 51 in a rectangular shape. The pressing member 40 contacts the inner surface of the compressor container 91 through the opening 511.

[0022] The first elastic portion 521 is a portion of the main body member 50 that comes into contact with the inner surface of the compressor vessel 91. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the first elastic portion 521 comes into contact with the inner surface of the compressor vessel 91 and applies an elastic force to the base portion 51 in a direction away from the inner surface of the compressor vessel 91. This causes the entire base portion 51 to come into contact with the pressing member 40, making it difficult for the relative position of the main body member 50 to change with respect to the pressing member 40. In this embodiment, the main body member 50 has four first elastic portions 521, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . Each first elastic portion 521 is formed by bending a rectangular piece formed at each of the four corners of the base portion 51 toward the inner surface of the compressor vessel 91.

[0023] The second elastic portion 522 is a portion of the main body member 50 that contacts the storage member 20. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the second elastic portion 522 contacts the first wall portion 21 of the storage member 20 and applies an elastic force to the storage member 20 in a direction away from the base portion 51. This allows the second elastic portion 522 to sandwich and firmly hold the storage member 20 between itself and an arm portion locking portion 531, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the main body member 50 has four second elastic portions 522, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . Each second elastic portion 522 is located outside a longitudinal side of the base portion 51 and is formed in a rectangular shape extending along the long side of the base portion 51. Each second elastic portion 522 is formed by bending toward the storage member 20, with the longitudinal center of the base portion 51 as the bending center.

[0024] The main body member 50 has, for example, two arms 53. The two arms 53 are provided at positions sandwiching both outer sides of the accommodating member 20, and extend from the base 51 toward the accommodating member 20. In the present embodiment, the two arms 53 are formed by bending long portions provided at both longitudinal ends of the accommodating member 51 toward the accommodating member 20. The center of the arm 53 in the width direction coincides with the center of the accommodating member 51 in the width direction. In this case, the two arms 53 face each other with the accommodating member 51 in between.

[0025] When the accommodating member 20 is pushed into the inner sides of the two arm portions 53, at least one of the two arm portions 53 is configured to elastically open away from the other to receive the accommodating member 20. Further, when the accommodating member 20 is pushed to a predetermined position, the two arm portions 53 are configured to sandwich and hold the accommodating member 20 between the two arm portions 53 by the restoring force of the elastically opened arm portions 53.

[0026] In the case of this embodiment, the two arm portions 53 are each configured to be elastically swingable with the boundary portion with the pedestal portion 51 as a fulcrum when receiving a force along the longitudinal direction of the pedestal portion 51. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the distance between the two arm portions 53 is set to be slightly larger than the outer dimension in the longitudinal direction of the accommodating member 20 in a region other than the tip portion of the arm portion 53, and is set to be slightly smaller than the outer dimension in the longitudinal direction of the accommodating member 20 at the tip portion of the arm portion 53. For this reason, when the accommodating member 20 is pushed into the inner sides of the two arm portions 53, the two arm portions 53 elastically open away from each other to receive the accommodating member 20. Then, when the accommodating member 20 is pushed to a predetermined position, the two arm portions 53 sandwich and hold the accommodating member 20 at the tip portions of the two arm portions 53 by the restoring force of the elastically opened two arm portions 53.

[0027] Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 etc., each arm portion 53 has an arm locking portion 531. The arm locking portion 531 has a function of suppressing the accommodating member 20 from falling off between the arm portions 53 by locking to the accommodating member 20 in a state where the accommodating member 20 is sandwiched between the two arm portions 53. That is, the arm portion 53 having the arm locking portion 531 has a function of locking and holding the accommodating member 20 by a so-called snap fit using the elasticity of the arm portion 53. As shown in FIG. 7, the arm locking portion 531 can be formed, for example, by folding back the tip portion of the arm portion 53 inward, that is, toward the other arm portion 53 side, in a U shape.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main body member 50 has, for example, two auxiliary portions 54. The two auxiliary portions 54 each extend from the pedestal portion 51 toward the housing member 20. The overall length of the auxiliary portion 54 is shorter than the overall length of the arm portion 53. When the housing member 20 is attached to the main body member 50 of the fixing member 30, each auxiliary portion 54 is passed through auxiliary portion insertion holes 281 and 282 (to be described later) provided in the housing member 20 and protrudes inside the housing member 20 at a position where the housing member 20 is sandwiched between the auxiliary portion 54 and the arm portion 53. In this state, each auxiliary portion 54 functions to apply an elastic force to the housing member 20 when the housing member 20 moves in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the pedestal portion 51, thereby restricting the movement of the housing member 20.

[0029] In the case of this embodiment, the two auxiliary portions 54 are each formed by bending a long piece provided at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the pedestal portion 51 with respect to the pedestal portion 51. The length dimension and width dimension of the auxiliary portion 54 are smaller than the length dimension and width dimension of the arm portion 53. The auxiliary portion 54 can be provided, for example, between the first elastic portion 521 and the arm portion 53 on the short side of the pedestal portion 51.

[0030] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, in a plan view, a line virtually connecting the two arm portions 53, 53 is defined as a first virtual line L1, and a line virtually connecting the two auxiliary portions 54, 54 is defined as a second virtual line L2. In this case, the two arm portions 53, 53 and the two auxiliary portions 54, 54 are provided at positions where the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 intersect within the plane of the pedestal portion 51. That is, the two auxiliary portions 54, 54 are provided at diagonal positions of the pedestal portion 51 with the first virtual line L1 interposed therebetween. In this case, the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 intersect near the center in the plan view of the pedestal portion 51. In other words, the intersection point Po of the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 is located near the center of the pedestal portion 51, in this case, near the center of the opening 511. Further, the two arm portions 53, 53 and the two auxiliary portions 54, 54 are arranged point-symmetrically about the intersection point Po of the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 in a plan view.

[0031] In addition, when the housing member 20 is in a stationary state, that is, when it is not swinging, each auxiliary part 54 does not apply an elastic force to the housing member 20. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the housing member 20 is in a stationary state, each auxiliary part 54 is not in contact with the housing member 20. Then, for example, when the housing member 20 swings due to vibrations of the motor 93 or the like, the housing member 20 comes into contact with each auxiliary part 54 and receives an elastic force from each auxiliary part 54, whereby the swinging of the housing member 20 is restricted.

[0032] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 and the like, each auxiliary part 54 has a locking part 541 for auxiliary parts. The locking part 541 for auxiliary parts is provided at the tip part of the auxiliary part 54. Then, as shown in FIG. 9 for example, the locking part 541 for auxiliary parts has a function of restricting the housing member 20 from moving in a direction away from the fixing member 30 by locking around the auxiliary insertion hole 281 in a state where the auxiliary part 54 is passed through the auxiliary insertion hole 281. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the locking part 541 for auxiliary parts can be formed, for example, by folding back the tip part of the auxiliary part 54 in a U shape to the outside, that is, to the side opposite to the other auxiliary part 54.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and the like, the housing member 20 has a support part 25, a receiving part 261, a locked part 262 for the arm part, a restricting part 27, auxiliary insertion holes 281 and 282, and a guiding part 29. The support part 25 is provided on the inner surface side of the first wall part 21 and supports the motor protector 80 installed in the housing member 20. Thereby, the motor protector 80 is maintained in a state separated from the inner surface of the first wall part 21.

[0034] The receiving portion 261 and the engaged portion 262 for the arm portion are provided corresponding to the arm portion 53 of the main body member 50. In the case of the present embodiment, the housing member 20 has two receiving portions 261 and two engaged portions 262 for the arm portion. Each receiving portion 261 is formed, for example, on a long inclined surface inclined with respect to the first wall portion 21, and spreads outward with respect to the center in the longitudinal direction of the housing member 20 as it moves away from the first wall portion 21. Thereby, when the housing member 20 is inserted between the two arm portions 53, the receiving portion 261 has a function of pushing and expanding the arm portions 53 in a direction in which the arm portions 53 move away from each other, that is, outward.

[0035] The engaged portion 262 for the arm portion is provided at the tip portion of each receiving portion 261, that is, the portion on the side opposite to the first wall portion 21. As shown in FIG. 7, the engaged portion 262 for the arm portion is formed, for example, in a groove shape into which the locking portion 531 for the arm portion can be fitted. Therefore, when the housing member 20 is pushed between the two arm portions 53 of the main body member 50 and reaches a predetermined position, the locking portion 531 for the arm portion folded back in a U shape is fitted into the groove-shaped engaged portion 262 for the arm portion and locked. Thereby, since the locking portion 531 for the arm portion is locked to the engaged portion 262 for the arm portion to restrict the movement of the housing member 20, it is possible to prevent the housing member 20 from falling off between the arm portions 53.

[0036] The restricting portion 27 has a function of restricting the movement of the arm portion 53 in the width direction of the receiving portion 261, that is, a function of suppressing the arm portion 53 from deviating and coming off from the receiving portion 261. The restricting portion 27 is provided, for example, on both sides in the width direction of the receiving portion 261. The restricting portion 27 can be configured by, for example, a long wall portion extending along the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion 261 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the third wall portion 23 or the fourth wall portion 24.

[0037] The insertion holes 281 and 282 for the auxiliary parts are provided corresponding to the two auxiliary parts 54. Here, in FIG. 6, the line virtually connecting the two receiving parts 261 and 261 coincides with the first virtual line L1 in FIG. 5, and the line virtually connecting the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for the auxiliary parts coincides with the second virtual line L2 in FIG. 5. Note that FIG. 6 does not show the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2. In this case, the two receiving parts 261 and 261 and the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for the auxiliary parts are provided at positions where the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 intersect at the center of the surface of the first wall part 21. That is, the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for the auxiliary parts are provided at diagonal positions of the first wall part 21 with the first virtual line L1 interposed therebetween. In this case, the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 intersect near the center in the plan view of the first wall part 21. In other words, the intersection point Po of the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 is located near the center of the first wall part 21. Also, the two receiving parts 261 and 261 and the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for the auxiliary parts are arranged point-symmetrically about the intersection point Po of the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 in the plan view.

[0038] Here, when distinguishing between the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for the auxiliary parts, one is referred to as the first insertion hole 281 for the auxiliary part, and the other is referred to as the second insertion hole 282 for the auxiliary part. In the case of this embodiment, for example, one of the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for the auxiliary parts, the first insertion hole 281 for the auxiliary part, is configured such that the locking part 541 for the auxiliary part can be locked around the first insertion hole 281 for the auxiliary part as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, the first insertion hole 281 for the auxiliary part is provided at a position separated from the inner surface of the third wall part 23. And when the housing member 20 tries to move in a direction away from the fixing member 30, that is, downward in the drawing in FIG. 9, the locking part 541 for the auxiliary part of the auxiliary part 54 inserted into the first insertion hole 281 for the auxiliary part is locked in the region between the inner surface of the first wall part 21 where the first insertion hole 281 for the auxiliary part is located and the inner surface of the third wall part 23.

[0039] Further, among the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for auxiliary parts, the other one, for example, the second insertion hole 282 for auxiliary parts, is configured such that the locking part 541 for auxiliary parts cannot be locked around the second insertion hole 282 for auxiliary parts as shown in Fig. 10. In this case, the second insertion hole 282 for auxiliary parts is provided at a position where the outer shape of the second insertion hole 282 for auxiliary parts contacts the inner surface of the fourth wall part 24. Therefore, the locking part 541 for auxiliary parts of the auxiliary part 54 inserted into the second insertion hole 282 for auxiliary parts does not lock to the inner surface of the first wall part 21.

[0040] As shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 8, the guide part 29 is provided corresponding to at least one of the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for auxiliary parts. The guide part 29 can be provided corresponding to both of the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for auxiliary parts, for example. In the case of this embodiment, the guide part 29 is provided corresponding to the insertion hole for auxiliary parts configured such that the locking part 541 for auxiliary parts can be locked to the inner surface of the first wall part 21 among the two insertion holes 281 and 282 for auxiliary parts. In this case, it is provided corresponding to the first insertion hole 281 for auxiliary parts.

[0041] The guide part 29 has a function of guiding the auxiliary part 54 to the first insertion hole 281 for auxiliary parts when the housing member 20 is attached to the main body member 50 of the fixing member 30. The guide part 29 can be formed in a shape having, for example, an inclined surface 291 that protrudes outward from the surface of the first wall part 21 and is inclined toward the first insertion hole 281 for auxiliary parts. When the housing member 20 is attached to the main body member 50 of the fixing member 30, the auxiliary part 54 corresponding to the guide part 29 is guided to the first insertion hole 281 for auxiliary parts along the inclined surface 291 of the guide part 29.

[0042] Fig. 11 shows an example when the motor protector 80 is attached to the hermetic electric compressor 90 using the attaching device 10 having the above configuration. In the following description, the hermetic electric compressor 90 may be simply referred to as the compressor 90. The compressor 90 is a hermetic or semi-hermetic electric compressor for refrigerant, and can be used, for example, in an air conditioner or the like to constitute a part of a refrigeration cycle. Further, the compressor 90 is not limited to small to medium-sized ones with relatively small capacities, and may be a large-capacity type.

[0043] The compressor 90 includes a compressor container 91, a compression mechanism 92, a motor 93, a motor protector 80, and a mounting device 10. The compressor container 91 is an airtight and pressure-resistant container that constitutes the outer shell of the compressor 90. The compression mechanism 92 and the motor 93 are both provided inside the compressor container 91. The compression mechanism 92 has the function of compressing and discharging the refrigerant. The compression mechanism 92 may be of not only a scroll type but also a rotary vane type, for example.

[0044] The motor 93 drives the compression mechanism 92. The motor 93 has windings (not shown). A suction pipe 94 and a discharge pipe 95 are airtightly connected to the compressor container 91. The suction pipe 94 is for guiding refrigerant from a heat exchanger (not shown) or the like to the compression mechanism 92 in the compressor container 91. The discharge pipe 95 is for discharging the refrigerant compressed by the compression mechanism 92 and sending it to the heat exchanger (not shown).

[0045] By using the mounting device 10 of this embodiment, the motor protector 80 can be mounted at a position as far away as possible from the compression mechanism 92 and the motor 93. In this embodiment, the compressor container 91 has a container body 911 and a lid 912. The lid 912 is placed on the container body 911 and the periphery of the lid 912 is welded to form a sealed container. In this case, by using the mounting device 10 of this embodiment, the motor protector 80 can be mounted on the inner surface of the lid 912. This minimizes the effect on the motor protector 80 of heat generated when welding the container body 911 and the lid 912 together.

[0046] As described above, the mounting device 10 of the present embodiment is a mounting device for attaching a thermal-responsive motor protector 80 for protecting a motor 93 built in a hermetic electric compressor 90 to a compressor container 91 of the hermetic electric compressor 90. The mounting device 10 includes a housing member 20 and a fixing member 30. The housing member 20 is made of a material having electrical insulation properties and is configured to be able to house the motor protector 80 with a part of the periphery of the motor protector 80 open. The fixing member 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the compressor container 91 and is configured such that the housing member 20 housing the motor protector 80 can be detachably attached and the housing member 20 can be fixed to the inner surface of the compressor container 91.

[0047] Further, the fixing member 30 has a pedestal portion 51 and at least two arm portions 53. The pedestal portion 51 is formed in a plate shape facing the inner surface of the compressor container 91. The two arm portions 53 are provided at positions sandwiching both outer sides of the housing member 20 and extend from the pedestal portion 51 toward the housing member 20 side. When the housing member 20 is pushed into the inner sides of the two arm portions 53, at least one of the two arm portions 53 elastically opens in a direction away from the other to receive the housing member 20. Then, when the housing member 20 is pushed into a predetermined position, the housing member 20 is sandwiched and held between the two arm portions 53 by the restoring force of the elastically opened arm portion 53.

[0048] Thus, according to the present embodiment, the housing member 20 is configured to be able to house the motor protector 80 with a part of the periphery of the motor protector 80 open. Therefore, compared with the conventional mounting method of covering the motor protector with an insulating resin sleeve and tying it to the motor winding, the cooling efficiency of the motor protector 80 can be improved, and the temperature rise of the motor protector 80 due to the heat generated by the normal operating current can be suppressed. As a result, it is not necessary to set the operating temperature of the thermal-responsive plate of the motor protector 80 higher than the upper limit temperature of the motor, and thus the response to the abnormal current at the time of low-temperature starting can be improved.

[0049] Further, according to the present embodiment, the fixing member 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the compressor container 91. And the housing member 20 that houses the motor protector 80 is attached to the inner surface of the compressor container 91 via the fixing member 30 by being pushed between the two arm portions 53 of the fixing member 30. Therefore, compared with the conventional attachment method of covering the motor protector with an insulating resin sleeve and tying it to the motor winding, the workability can be improved.

[0050] And the fixing member 30 of the present embodiment further has an auxiliary portion 54. The auxiliary portion 54 extends from the pedestal portion 51 toward the housing member 20 side, and when the housing member 20 is attached to the fixing member 30, it is passed through the auxiliary portion insertion holes 281 and 282 provided in the housing member 20 and protrudes inside the housing member 20 at a position where it sandwiches the housing member 20 together with the arm portion 53. When the housing member 20 moves in a direction parallel to the pedestal portion 51, an elastic force is applied to the housing member 20 to restrict the movement of the housing member 20.

[0051] According to this, even when the housing member 20 that houses the motor protector 80 is affected by vibrations or the like generated by the drive of the compressor 90 and tries to move, for example, its movement is restricted by the auxiliary portion 54. For this reason, even when the motor protector 80 is relatively large and heavy, it is possible to make it difficult to be affected by vibrations or the like. As a result, it is possible to suppress problems such as the housing member 20 that houses the motor protector 80 falling off from the fixing member 30.

[0052] The auxiliary portion 54 does not apply an elastic force to the housing member 20 when the housing member 20 is in a stationary state. That is, when the compressor 90 is not driven and the housing member 20 is not vibrating, the auxiliary portion 54 is not in contact with the housing member 20. According to this, until the case where the compressor 90 is not driven and the housing member 20 is not vibrating, it is suppressed that the auxiliary portion 54 contacts the housing member 20 and sandwiches the housing member 20 between the arm portion 53. Therefore, when removing the housing member 20 together with the motor protector 80 from the fixing member 30, the workability can be improved by making it easy to remove the housing member 20.

[0053] The auxiliary part 54 further has a locking part 541 for the auxiliary part. The locking part 541 for the auxiliary part is provided at the tip part of the auxiliary part 54. The locking part 541 for the auxiliary part can restrict the housing member 20 from moving in a direction away from the fixing member 30 by locking around the first insertion hole 281 for the auxiliary part when the auxiliary part 54 is passed through the first insertion hole 281 for the auxiliary part, for example. According to this, even a relatively large and heavy motor protector 80 can be held more reliably, and as a result, it is possible to more effectively suppress the housing member 20 from falling off from the fixing member 30 due to vibration or the like.

[0054] The locking part 541 for the auxiliary part is formed by folding back the tip part of the auxiliary part 54 to the outside. According to this, since the locking part 541 for the auxiliary part can have a simple structure, the productivity of the mounting device 10 can be improved.

[0055] The fixing member 30 has two auxiliary parts 54, 54. As shown in FIG. 5, in a plan view, the two arm parts 53, 53 and the two auxiliary parts 54, 54 are provided at positions where a first virtual line L1 connecting the two arm parts 53, 53 virtually and a second virtual line L2 connecting the two auxiliary parts 54, 54 virtually intersect near the approximate center in the plane of the pedestal part 51. According to this, in a plan view, the movement of the housing member 20 in the rotational direction can be regulated in a well-balanced manner by the two arm parts 53, 53 and the two auxiliary parts 54, 54, so that the influence of vibration received by the housing member 20 can be more effectively reduced.

[0056] Further, the two arm portions 53, 53 and the two auxiliary portions 54, 54 are arranged point-symmetrically about the intersection point Po of the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 in a plan view. That is, in the present embodiment, even when the fixing member 30 is rotated 180 degrees in a plan view from the state of FIG. 5 and fixed to the inner surface of the compressor container 91, the housing member 20 can be attached to the fixing member 30. Therefore, when fixing the fixing member 30 to the inner surface of the compressor container 91, the operator does not need to worry about the orientation of the fixing member 30, and as a result, the workability can be improved. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress a problem caused by misaligning the mounting orientation of the fixing member 30 with respect to the inner surface of the compressor container 91.

[0057] The housing member 20 further has two insertion holes 281, 282 for auxiliary portions. The two insertion holes 281, 282 for auxiliary portions are provided corresponding to the respective auxiliary portions 54, 54, and the auxiliary portions 54, 54 are configured to be insertable. Also, one of the two insertion holes 281, 282 for auxiliary portions, in this case, the first insertion hole 281 for auxiliary portion is configured such that a locking portion 541 for auxiliary portion can be locked around the first insertion hole 281 for auxiliary portion as shown in FIG. 9. And the other of the two insertion holes 281, 282 for auxiliary portions, in this case, the second insertion hole 282 for auxiliary portion is configured such that the locking portion 541 for auxiliary portion cannot be locked around the second insertion hole 282 for auxiliary portion as shown in FIG. 10.

[0058] According to this, for example, when the housing member 20 is attached to the fixing member 30 and the compressor 90 is used, the auxiliary part locking part 541 of the auxiliary part 54 inserted into the first auxiliary part insertion hole 281 locks around the first auxiliary part insertion hole 281, thereby effectively suppressing the housing member 20 from falling off the fixing member 30. On the other hand, the auxiliary part locking part 541 of the auxiliary part 54 inserted into the second auxiliary part insertion hole 282 does not lock around the second auxiliary part insertion hole 282. Therefore, when it is desired to remove the housing member 20 from the fixing member 30, in addition to the locking parts 531 of the two arm parts 53, the locking of the auxiliary part locking part 541 of the auxiliary part inserted into the first auxiliary part insertion hole 281 among the two auxiliary parts 54, 54 can be released. That is, since it is not necessary to release the locking of the auxiliary part locking part 541 of the auxiliary part 54 inserted into the second auxiliary part insertion hole 282, it can be easily removed. Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to effectively suppress the housing member 20 from falling off the fixing member 30, and it can be easily removed when it is desired to remove the housing member 20 from the fixing member 30.

[0059] The housing member 20 further has a guide part 29. The guide part 29 is provided corresponding to at least one of the two auxiliary part insertion holes 281, 282. In the case of the present embodiment, the guide part 29 is provided corresponding to the first auxiliary part insertion hole 281 which is configured such that the auxiliary part locking part 541 can lock around the auxiliary part insertion hole 281, for example. And the guide part 29 has a function of guiding the auxiliary part 54 to the first auxiliary part insertion hole 281 when the housing member 20 is attached to the fixing member 30.

[0060] According to this, for example, the auxiliary part 54 can be smoothly inserted into the first auxiliary part insertion hole 281 provided with the guide part 29. Therefore, the workability when attaching the housing member 20 to the fixing member 30 can be further improved.

[0061] The above-described embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. An attachment device for attaching a thermally responsive motor protector for protecting a motor built into a hermetic electric compressor to a compressor container of the hermetic electric compressor, comprising: a housing member made of a material having electrical insulation properties and capable of housing the motor protector with a part of the periphery of the motor protector open; a fixing member fixed to the inner surface of the compressor container and detachably attached to the housing member housing the motor protector, and capable of fixing the housing member to the inner surface of the compressor container; The fixing member includes: a pedestal portion formed in a plate shape facing the inner surface of the compressor container; at least two arm portions provided at positions sandwiching both outer sides of the housing member and extending from the pedestal portion toward the housing member side; When the housing member is pushed into the inner sides of the two arm portions, at least one of the two arm portions elastically opens in a direction away from the other to receive the housing member, and when the housing member is pushed to a predetermined position, the housing member is sandwiched and held between the two arm portions by the restoring force of the elastically opened arm portions; The fixing member further includes: an auxiliary portion extending from the pedestal portion toward the housing member side, passing through an insertion hole for an auxiliary portion provided in the housing member when the housing member is attached to the fixing member, protruding inside the housing member and at a position sandwiching the housing member with the arm portions, and applying an elastic force to the housing member to restrict movement of the housing member when the housing member moves in a direction parallel to the pedestal portion; When the housing member is in a stationary state, the auxiliary portion does not contact the housing member and does not apply an elastic force to the housing member, and when the housing member swings, the auxiliary portion contacts the auxiliary portion and receives an elastic force from the auxiliary portion to restrict the swinging of the housing member. An attachment device for a motor protector.

2. The auxiliary portion further includes a locking portion for an auxiliary portion provided at a tip portion of the auxiliary portion and capable of restricting movement of the housing member in a direction away from the fixing member by locking around the insertion hole for the auxiliary portion in a state where the auxiliary portion is passed through the insertion hole for the auxiliary portion. The attachment device for a motor protector according to Claim 1.

3. The locking portion for the auxiliary portion is formed by folding back a tip portion of the auxiliary portion to the outside. The attachment device for a motor protector according to Claim 2.

4. The fixing member has two of the auxiliary parts, The two arm parts and the two auxiliary parts are provided at positions where a first virtual line virtually connecting the two arm parts and a second virtual line virtually connecting the two auxiliary parts intersect within the plane of the pedestal part in a plan view. The mounting device for a motor protector according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The two arm parts and the two auxiliary parts are arranged symmetrically with respect to the intersection point of the first virtual line and the second virtual line in a plan view. The mounting device for a motor protector according to claim 4.

6. The housing member further has two insertion holes for the auxiliary parts provided corresponding to the two auxiliary parts and into which the auxiliary parts can be inserted. One of the two insertion holes for the auxiliary parts is configured such that a locking part for the auxiliary part can be locked around the insertion hole for the auxiliary part, and the other is configured such that the locking part for the auxiliary part cannot be locked around the insertion hole for the auxiliary part. The mounting device for a motor protector according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The housing member further has a guiding part provided corresponding to at least one of the two insertion holes for the auxiliary parts and guiding the auxiliary part into the insertion hole for the auxiliary part when the housing member is attached to the fixing member. The mounting device for a motor protector according to claim 6.

8. A compressor container having airtightness, A compression mechanism provided in the compressor container for compressing and discharging a refrigerant, A motor provided in the compressor container for driving the compression mechanism, A motor protector provided in the compressor container and connected to a power line of the motor, The mounting device for a motor protector according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for attaching the motor protector to the inner surface of the compressor container, A hermetic electric compressor comprising the same.

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