Compressor enclosure and compressor unit

Abstract

To provide an enclosure for a compressor that has a simple structure, and can reduce vibration and noise generated from the compressor.SOLUTION: An enclosure 1 used for a compressor 2 comprises: a main body part 10 internally housing and surrounding the compressor 2; and a plurality of protruding parts 12 protruding from an inner surface of the main body part 10, and in contact with the compressor 2. The main body part 10 is provided with rigidity to the extent that it bends under its own weight. Hole parts into which the compressor 2 is partially inserted so as to extend outward are formed in the main body part 10. Seal materials 14 are provided as the protruding part 12 around the hole parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an enclosure for a compressor that houses a compressor therein and a compressor unit.

Background Art

[0002] As a compressor used in a refrigeration cycle for air conditioning of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, an electric compressor is used. The electric compressor is configured to drive a compression part having a scroll mechanism or the like by an electric motor. Since the electric compressor operates in response to a request for air conditioning even when the vehicle is stopped, further noise reduction is required. In order to reduce noise, an enclosure that houses and covers the compressor as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The compressor enclosure of Patent Document 1 can suppress noise because it surrounds the entire compressor. However, since the main body of the enclosure is formed of a rigid resin such as PP (polypropylene), there is a problem that the vibration of the compressor is easily transmitted. In addition, the compressor enclosure of Patent Document 1 not only houses the compressor but also has mounting feet for mounting on the vehicle side, and there are problems that the structure is complicated and the cost is high.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an enclosure for a compressor and a compressor unit that can suppress noise generated from the compressor with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A compressor enclosure according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a main body that houses and surrounds a compressor, and a plurality of protrusions that project from the inner surface of the main body and contact the compressor, wherein the main body is made of a rigidity such that it bends under its own weight. Furthermore, the number of protrusions is provided at positions corresponding to the electric motor section of the compressor, rather than at positions corresponding to the compression section of the compressor. .

[0007] A compressor unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a compressor enclosure as described above, and a compressor housed within the compressor enclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This simple configuration can suppress noise generated from the compressor. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a compressor enclosure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a compressor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an enclosure housing a compressor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This graph shows the noise reduction effect. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments relating to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows an enclosure 1 that covers the entire electric compressor. The main body 10 of the enclosure 1 is shaped to match the external dimensions of the electric compressor and is divided into two sections 10A and 10B on the left and right sides by a dividing surface P.

[0011] The dividing surface P is provided extending vertically when the compressor's mounting legs 3 are positioned downwards. The compressor's mounting legs 3 are fixing parts for attaching the compressor to the vehicle's fixing parts. Thus, the compressor is fixed to the vehicle by the mounting legs 3 provided on the compressor, and the compressor is not fixed to the vehicle using the rigidity of the enclosure 1.

[0012] The main body 10 of the enclosure 1 is designed to have a rigidity such that it flexes under its own weight, and a foamed resin material such as polyurethane foam (soft PUR foam) is used. Therefore, the enclosure 1 is softer than rigid plastic materials such as PP (polypropylene) and PBT (polybutylene terephthalate).

[0013] Various fixing methods can be used to secure the left and right divided parts 10A and 10B to each other, for example, engagement using bolts and nuts, claws, etc.

[0014] Figure 2 shows the compressor 2. The compressor 2 shown in this figure does not have a shape that is exactly the same as the enclosure 1 shown in Figure 1, for example, in terms of the number of mounting legs 3, but it does not significantly differ in describing the compressor that is soundproofed by the enclosure 1. In other words, the enclosure 1 according to this embodiment can be widely applied to any compressor with the structure described below.

[0015] Compressor 2 constitutes part of the refrigeration cycle used for the vehicle's air conditioning system. It draws in refrigerant from the evaporator, compresses it, and discharges the compressed refrigerant to the condenser. As shown in Figure 2, compressor 2 has a roughly cylindrical shape with its longitudinal axis in the horizontal direction. Compressor 2 is an electric compressor and comprises a compression section 2A having a scroll mechanism and a motor section (electric motor section) 2B equipped with an electric motor that drives the scroll mechanism.

[0016] The compression section 2A is located on the front side (left side in Figure 2) of the compressor 2 and contains a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll. Since the orbiting scroll performs an orbital motion while partially contacting the fixed scroll, the compression section 2A is the main source of vibration and noise for the compressor 2. A cylindrical discharge port (extension section) 5 for discharging the compressed refrigerant is provided at the top of the compression section 2A.

[0017] The motor unit 2B is connected to the rear of the compression unit 2A and is located on the rear side (right side in Figure 2) of the compressor 2. The motor unit 2B comprises an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, and an inverter unit that supplies power to the electric motor. The diameter of the motor unit 2B is larger than the diameter of the compression unit 2A. A cylindrical suction port 7 is provided at the top of the motor unit 2B for drawing refrigerant into the compressor 2. Furthermore, a cylindrical wiring guide tube (extension) 9 is provided at the top of the motor unit 2B and near the suction port (extension) 7 for guiding harnesses such as power cables and signal lines to the outside of the compressor 2.

[0018] Figure 3 shows a vertical cross-section of the compressor 2 shown in Figure 2 with the enclosure 1 attached. Note that Figure 3 is the reverse of Figure 2, with the compression unit 2A on the right and the motor unit 2B on the left. In other words, Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section of Figure 2 viewed from the rear.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the main body 10 of the enclosure 1 houses and surrounds the entire compressor 2 inside. A gap of about 5 mm to 20 mm is provided between the main body 10 and the compressor 2, and they are in contact with each other at multiple locations through the protruding portions 12. The protruding portions 12 are in a protruding shape protruding from the inner surface of the main body 10, and the tips of the protruding portions 12 are in contact with the outer surface of the compressor 2. Since the material of the main body 10 has a rigidity such that it can bend due to its own weight, the shape of the main body 10 is maintained by the protruding portions 12 arranged at each position. The protruding portions 12 are preferably made of a material softer than the material of the main body 10. For example, rubber sponges such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) foam materials such as Epsealer (registered trademark), continuous bubble polyethylene, etc. can be used. The protruding portions 12 are fixed to the inner surface of the main body part 10 by adhesion or the like.

[0020] The protruding portions 12 are mainly provided on the motor part 2B of the compressor 2. More specifically, they are provided on the front end part A1, the rear end part A2, and the intermediate part A3 between them of the motor part 2B. Note that the protruding portions 12 of the intermediate part A3 can be omitted as appropriate. Also, the protruding portions 12 are provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction of the compressor 2. For example, as shown by the arrow C in FIG. 2, they are provided on the lower side and the upper side of the compressor 2 respectively. As in this embodiment, it is preferable to provide more protruding portions 12 on the motor part 2B than on the compression part 2A.

[0021] At the position corresponding to the discharge port 5, a hole is formed in the main body 10 for the discharge port 5 to pass through. In order to fill the gap between the edge of this hole and the side circumferential surface of the discharge port 5, a sealing material 14 is provided as the protruding portion 12 as shown in FIG. 3. The sealing material 14 is arranged so as to wind around the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion of the discharge port 5.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows the experimental results regarding the noise reduction effect when the enclosure 1 of this embodiment is used. The noise with a frequency of 0 to 10 kHz was measured when the rotational speed of the compressor 2 was 6000 rpm.

[0023] As can be seen from the figure, when the main body 10 of the enclosure 1 of this embodiment is used and the protruding parts 12 are not used, a noise reduction of 1.7 decibels was obtained compared to when the enclosure is not installed. In addition, as shown in Figure 3, when multiple protruding parts 12 are provided on the motor section 2B and EPT Sealer (registered trademark) is used as the material for the protruding parts 12, a noise reduction of 3.7 decibels was obtained compared to when the enclosure is not installed. Furthermore, when the sealing material 14 is used as the protruding parts 12 on the extensions 5, 7, and 9 such as the discharge port 5, a noise reduction of 5.0 decibels was obtained compared to when the enclosure is not installed.

[0024] The effects and advantages of this embodiment, as described above, are as follows. The main body 10 of the enclosure 1 is designed to bend under its own weight, and is deformable, making it easy to handle and allowing for effective suppression of noise generated from the compressor 2 with a simple configuration. Since multiple protrusions 12 contact the compressor 2, even if the main body 10 has only enough rigidity to bend under its own weight, the protrusions 12 support it, allowing the main body 10 to maintain its shape. Furthermore, the protrusions 12 create a space between the compressor 2 and the inner surface of the main body 10, effectively suppressing noise generated from the compressor 2.

[0025] The compressor 2 is provided with extensions 5, 7, and 9 that extend outward from the main body 10 of the enclosure 1, such as a discharge port 5 for discharging refrigerant and a suction port 7 for drawing in refrigerant. Holes are formed in the main body 10 of the enclosure 1 to allow these extensions 5, 7, and 9 to pass through. A sealing material 14 is provided around these holes as a protruding portion 12 that contacts the extensions 5, 7, and 9 of the compressor 2. This suppresses noise leakage from the gap between the main body 10 of the enclosure 1 and the extensions 5, 7, and 9.

[0026] By making the protruding portion 12 from a softer material than the main body portion 10, it is possible to suppress the transmission of vibrations generated from the compressor 2 to the main body portion 10.

[0027] By constructing the main body 10 of the enclosure 1 from multiple divided parts 10A and 10B, the assembly of the enclosure 1 to surround the compressor 2 becomes easier.

[0028] The compression section 2A of the compressor 2 vibrates more than the electric motor section 2B that drives the compression section 2A. Therefore, the motor section 2B, which vibrates relatively less, is provided with more protrusions 12 and connected to the main body 10 of the enclosure 1. This makes it possible to suppress vibrations transmitted to the main body 10 of the enclosure 1.

[0029] In the embodiment described above, the protruding portion 12 is attached to the main body portion 10 of the enclosure 1, but the main body portion 10 and the protruding portion 12 may also be molded together from the same material.

[0030] The compressor enclosure and compressor unit described in each of the embodiments described above can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0031] A compressor enclosure (1) according to a first aspect of this disclosure comprises a main body (10) that houses and surrounds a compressor (2), and a plurality of protrusions (12) that protrude from the inner surface of the main body and contact the compressor, wherein the main body has a rigidity such that it flexes under its own weight.

[0032] The main body is designed to be rigid enough to flex under its own weight, making it easy to handle and allowing for effective suppression of noise generated from the compressor with a simple configuration. Since multiple protrusions contact the compressor, even if the main body is only rigid enough to flex under its own weight, the protrusions support it, allowing it to maintain its shape. Furthermore, the protrusions create a space between the compressor and the inner surface of the main body, effectively suppressing noise generated by the compressor. The main body can be made of a material that is softer than rigid plastic materials such as PP (polypropylene) or PBT (polybutylene terephthalate). For example, foamed resin materials such as polyurethane foam (flexible PUR foam) can be used.

[0033] In the second aspect of the present disclosure, the compressor enclosure, in the first aspect, has a hole formed in the main body portion for inserting a part of the compressor so that it extends outward, and a sealing material (14) is provided around the hole portion as the protruding portion.

[0034] The compressor is equipped with extensions that extend outward from the main body of the enclosure, such as a discharge section for discharging refrigerant and a suction section for drawing in refrigerant. Holes are formed in the main body of the enclosure to allow these extensions to pass through. A sealing material is provided around these holes as protrusions that contact the extensions of the compressor. This suppresses noise leakage from the gap between the main body of the enclosure and the extensions.

[0035] In the third aspect of the present disclosure, the compressor enclosure, in the second aspect, has the protruding portion made of a softer material than the main body.

[0036] By using a softer material for the protruding part than the main body, it is possible to suppress the transmission of vibrations generated from the compressor to the main body. For the protruding portion, materials such as rubber sponges like EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) foam materials such as EPT Sealer®, or open-cell polyethylene can be used.

[0037] In the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the compressor enclosure, in any of the first to third aspects, is composed of a main body made up of a plurality of divided parts (10A, 10B).

[0038] By constructing the main body from multiple divided sections, the process of assembling the enclosure to surround the compressor becomes easier. Two sections are preferable for the main body.

[0039] In the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the compressor enclosure, in any of the first to fourth aspects, has a greater number of protrusions provided at positions corresponding to the electric motor portion of the compressor than at positions corresponding to the compression portion of the compressor.

[0040] The compression section of the compressor vibrates more than the electric motor section that drives the compression section. Therefore, many protrusions are provided on the electric motor section, which vibrates relatively less, and connected to the main body of the enclosure. This suppresses the vibrations transmitted to the main body of the enclosure. In addition, to increase rigidity, protrusions may be provided on a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis and passing through the main bearing (the bearing that rotates and supports the rotation axis near the compression section), and / or on a plane passing through the end plate at the rear of the sub-bearing (the bearing that rotates and supports the opposite side of the rotation axis from the main bearing).

[0041] The compressor unit of the present disclosure comprises a compressor enclosure as described in any of the first to fifth embodiments, and a compressor housed within the compressor enclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1 Enclosure 2 Compressor 2A Compression section 2B Motor section (electric motor section) 3. Mounting legs 5 Discharge port (extension part) 7. Suction port (extension part) 9. Wiring guide tube (extension section) 10 Main body 10A, 10B split body 12 Protrusion 14. Sealant P split plane

Claims

1. The main body encloses and surrounds the compressor, Multiple protrusions that protrude from the inner surface of the main body and contact the compressor, Equipped with, The main body is made to have a rigidity such that it flexes under its own weight. The compressor enclosure is provided with a larger number of protrusions at positions corresponding to the electric motor section of the compressor than at positions corresponding to the compression section of the compressor.

2. The main body portion has a hole formed therein for inserting a part of the compressor so that it extends outward. The compressor enclosure according to claim 1, wherein a sealing material is provided as the protruding portion around the hole.

3. The compressor enclosure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protruding portion is made of a softer material than the main body portion.

4. The compressor enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the main body is composed of a plurality of divided parts.

5. The compressor enclosure described in claim 1, The compressor housed within the aforementioned compressor enclosure, A compressor unit equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

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