Compressor enclosure and compressor unit

Abstract

The present invention provides a compressor enclosure capable of reducing noise generated from a compressor due to a contact state between the compressor and a first cover and a second cover. A compressor enclosure (1) comprises: a first cover (21) that houses and encloses a compressor (2) therein; a plurality of first connection parts (11) that connect the first cover (21) and the compressor (2) in a state in which a space is formed between the first cover (21) and the compressor (2); and a second cover (22) that houses and encloses the first cover (21) therein, and has a greater density than the first cover (21).

Description

Compressor enclosure and compressor unit

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

[0002] Electric compressors are used in the refrigeration cycles of air conditioning in electric and hybrid vehicles. Electric compressors have a compression section equipped with a scroll mechanism and other components that is driven by an electric motor. Since electric compressors operate in response to air conditioning demands even when the vehicle is stopped, further noise reduction is required.

[0003] There are two ways to reduce compressor noise: reducing the sound pressure level of the noise source and absorbing or insulating the generated noise. As a means for absorbing or insulating the latter, various structures have been proposed that provide a soundproof cover for the compressor. For example, the soundproof cover disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a cover portion that is a sound-absorbing material that covers the compressor, and a sound-insulating member that covers the cover portion.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-147641

[0005] However, although Patent Document 1 describes disposing a sound-insulating member so as to cover the outer surface of the cover, which is made of sound-absorbing material, it does not specifically describe the state of contact between the cover and the sound-insulating member, nor does it specifically describe the state of contact between the compressor and the cover.

[0006] After extensive research, the inventors discovered that the noise generated by the compressor can be effectively reduced by adjusting the contact state between the compressor and the first cover (sound-absorbing material) and the second cover (sound-insulating material).

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a compressor enclosure and a compressor unit that can reduce noise generated from the compressor depending on the contact state between the compressor and the first cover and second cover.

[0008] A compressor enclosure according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first cover that houses and surrounds a compressor, a plurality of first connection portions that connect the first cover to the compressor while forming a space between the first cover and the compressor, and a second cover that houses and surrounds the first cover and has a higher density than the first cover.

[0009] A compressor unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the compressor enclosure described above and the compressor housed in the compressor enclosure.

[0010] The noise generated by the compressor can be reduced depending on the contact state between the compressor and the first and second covers.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a compressor enclosure according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a compressor according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an enclosure accommodating a compressor according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a process of manufacturing a first cover by removing a skin layer; and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an enclosure accommodating a compressor according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] [First embodiment] A first embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows an enclosure (compressor enclosure) 1 that entirely covers a compressor 2. A main body 10 of the enclosure 1 has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the compressor 2, and is divided into two left and right sections 10A, 10B at a dividing plane P.

[0013] The dividing plane P extends vertically when the mounting legs 3 of the compressor 2 are positioned downward. The mounting legs 3 of the compressor 2 are fixing parts for fixing the compressor to a fixing part on the vehicle side.

[0014] The main body 10 of the enclosure 1 has a double structure made up of a first cover 21 and a second cover 22, which will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0015] The left and right divided bodies 10A, 10B shown in FIG. 1 can be fixed to each other using various fixing methods, such as engagement using bolts and nuts, claws, etc.

[0016] Figure 2 shows the compressor 2 with the enclosure 1 shown in Figure 1 removed. The compressor 2 shown in this figure does not have an exact same shape as the enclosure 1 shown in Figure 1, for example, in terms of the number of mounting legs 3, but there is no significant difference in terms of the compressor being sound-insulated by the enclosure 1. In other words, the enclosure 1 according to this embodiment can be widely applied to compressors having the structure described below.

[0017] The compressor 2 constitutes part of a refrigeration cycle used in vehicle air conditioning, and draws in refrigerant guided from an evaporator, compresses it, and discharges the compressed refrigerant to a condenser. As shown in Figure 2, the compressor 2 has a generally cylindrical shape with a horizontal longitudinal axis. The compressor 2 is an electric compressor and includes a compression section 2A having a scroll mechanism and a motor section (electric motor section) 2B having an electric motor that drives the scroll mechanism.

[0018] The compression section 2A is located on the front side (left side in FIG. 2 ) of the compressor 2 and includes a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll therein. Because the orbiting scroll orbits 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) 5 for discharging compressed refrigerant is provided at the top of the compression section 2A.

[0019] The motor unit 2B is connected to the rear of the compression unit 2A and is located on the rear side of the compressor 2 (on the right side in FIG. 2 ). The motor unit 2B includes 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 near the suction port (extension) 7 for guiding harnesses such as power cables and signal lines to the outside of the compressor 2.

[0020] Fig. 3 shows a vertical cross section of the compressor 2 in Fig. 2 with the enclosure 1 attached. Note that Fig. 3 is reversed from the compressor 2 shown in Fig. 2, with the compression unit 2A on the right and the motor unit 2B on the left. In other words, Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section seen from the rear side of Fig. 2.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the main body 10 of the enclosure 1 has a double structure including a first cover 21 and a second cover 22 .

[0022] The first cover 21 accommodates and surrounds the entire compressor 2. The first cover 21 is rigid enough to bend under its own weight, and is made of a foamed resin material such as urethane foam (soft PUR foam). Therefore, the first cover 21 is softer and has a lower density (lower specific gravity and higher porosity) than rigid plastic materials such as PP (polypropylene) and PBT (polybutylene terephthalate).

[0023] A gap of, for example, 5 mm to 20 mm is provided between the first cover 21 and the compressor 2, and the first cover 21 contacts the compressor 2 at multiple locations via the first connection portion 11. The first connection portion 11 has a protruding shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the first cover 21, and the tip of the first connection portion 11 contacts the outer surface of the compressor 2. The first connection portion 11 is preferably made of a material softer than the material of the first cover 21, and may be, for example, a rubber sponge such as an EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) foam material such as EPTSEALER (registered trademark), or open-cell polyethylene. The first connection portion 11 is preferably fixed to the inner surface of the first cover 21 by adhesive or the like.

[0024] The first connection portions 11 are mainly provided in the motor section 2B of the compressor 2. More specifically, they are provided at the front end A1, the rear end A2, and the intermediate section A3 between the front end A1 and the rear end A2 of the motor section 2B. The first connection portion 11 at the intermediate section A3 may be omitted as appropriate. The first connection portions 11 are provided at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the compressor 2. For example, as shown by arrow C in FIG. 2 , they are provided at both the lower and upper sides of the compressor 2. As in this embodiment, it is preferable to provide more first connection portions 11 in the motor section 2B than in the compression section 2A.

[0025] A hole is formed in the main body 10 at a position corresponding to the discharge port 5 so that the discharge port 5 can be inserted therethrough. To fill the gap between the edge of this hole and the side surface of the discharge port 5, a sealant 14 is provided as a first connecting portion 11, as shown in Figure 3. The sealant 14 is arranged so as to wrap around the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion of the discharge port 5.

[0026] The second cover 22 accommodates and surrounds the entire first cover 21. The second cover 22 has a higher density (higher specific gravity and lower void content) than the first cover 21, and is rigid enough to maintain its shape under its own weight. For example, the first cover 21 may be made of a hard resin material that does not foam or foams only to a small extent. Alternatively, the second cover 22 may be made of a rigid plastic material such as PP (polypropylene) or PBT (polybutylene terephthalate).

[0027] A gap of, for example, about 5 mm to 20 mm is provided between the second cover 22 and the first cover 21, and the second cover 22 is in contact with the first cover 21 at multiple locations via the second connection portions 12. The second connection portions 12 have a protruding shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the second cover 22, and the tip of the second connection portion 12 is in contact with the outer surface of the first cover 21.

[0028] The second connecting portion 12 may be made of resin integrated with the second cover 22. In this case, the tip of the second connecting portion 12 is connected to the outer surface of the first cover 21. When a foamed resin is used for the first cover 21, the outer surface of the first cover 21 preferably has a foamed surface 21c in which the skin layer 21a has been removed to expose numerous recesses, as shown in FIG. 4( a). When foamed resin is molded in a mold using polyurethane or other raw material at a high temperature of 60°C or higher, a core layer 21b serving as a foamed layer and skin layers 21a serving as solid layers on the front and back sides of the core layer 21b are formed, as shown in FIG. 4( a). By removing the skin layers 21a by blasting, machining, or the like, a foamed surface 21c in which numerous recesses caused by foaming are exposed appears on the surface of the first cover 21, as shown in FIG. 4( b). Then, by resin-molding the second cover 22 onto the first cover 21, the resin of the second connection portion 12 fills the numerous recesses in the foam surface 21c of the first cover 21, and the tip of the second connection portion 12 can be mechanically and / or chemically bonded to the outer surface of the first cover 21.

[0029] Instead of integrally molding the second connection portion 12 with the second cover 22, for example, a rubber sponge such as an EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) foam material such as EPTSEALER (registered trademark), open-cell polyethylene, or the like may be used as the second connection portion 12. In this case, the second connection portion 12 is fixed to the inner surface of the second cover 22 and the outer surface of the first cover 21 by adhesive or the like.

[0030] The second connection portion 12 is provided at a different position from the first connection portion 11 when the first connection portion 11 is viewed from the second cover 22. In other words, the second connection portion 12 does not overlap the area in which the first connection portion 11 exists. This prevents the first connection portion 11, the first cover 21, the second connection portion 12, and the second cover 22 from being continuously present in the thickness direction of the main body 10.

[0031] The effects of the present embodiment described above are as follows. The multiple first connection portions 11 form a space between the compressor 2 and the inner surface of the first cover 21, thereby effectively suppressing noise generated by the compressor 2. The second cover 22 is provided to house the first cover 21. As a result, sound generated by the compressor 2 is converted into thermal energy and attenuated as it propagates through the first cover 21. The sound is then reflected inward by the second cover 22, which has a higher density than the first cover 21. The reflected sound is further attenuated by the first cover 21. As a result, the low-density first cover 21 and the high-density second cover 22 can reduce the propagation of sound from the compressor 2 to the outside of the enclosure 1.

[0032] The plurality of second connecting portions 12 can form a space between the first cover 21 and the second cover 22, thereby reducing vibration propagation from the first cover 21 to the second cover 22. Furthermore, sound waves are reflected and attenuated at the boundary surface between the second connecting portions 12 and the first cover 21, reducing sound radiation from the second cover 22 to the outside. Furthermore, by forming a space between the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 using the second connecting portions 12, it is possible to prevent the first cover 21 from vibrating due to vibrations of a vehicle body or the like equipped with the compressor 2 and coming into contact with the second cover 22, thereby generating noise.

[0033] When the first connection portion 11 is viewed from the second cover 22, the second connection portion 12 is provided at a position different from the first connection portion 11, so that it is possible to prevent sound (vibration) from the compressor 2 from being propagated through a solid directly to the second cover 22 via the first connection portion 11, the first cover 21, and the second connection portion 12. Since the solid-borne sound propagating from the first connection portion 11 to the first cover 21 passes through the first cover 21 on its way to the second cover 22, the sound (vibration) can be absorbed and attenuated. Furthermore, because the second cover 22 is connected to the first cover 21 by the second connection portion 12, the first cover 21 can absorb and attenuate vibrations of the second cover 22.

[0034] By mechanically and / or chemically bonding the second connection portion 12 to the numerous depressions that appear on the surface of the foamed surface of the first cover 21, the reliability of the bond is improved and it is possible to prevent the bond from peeling off and causing contact noise between the first cover 21 and the second connection portion 12.

[0035] By removing the skin layer 21a of the first cover 21, which is relatively dense and formed during the manufacturing of the first cover 21, sound reflection on the surface is reduced, thereby making it possible to efficiently absorb sound from the compressor 2, reflected sound from the second cover 22, and solid-borne sound from the compressor 2 and the second cover 22.

[0036] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In the first embodiment, a space is formed between the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 by providing the second connection portion 12, but in this embodiment, no space is formed between the first cover 21 and the second cover 22. Other configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0037] 5, the second connecting portion 12 (see FIG. 3) of the first embodiment is not provided between the first cover 21 and the second cover 22, and the outer surface of the first cover 21 contacts the inner surface of the second cover 22. The first cover 21 and the second cover 22 may be joined together to form an integrated unit, or may simply be stacked on top of each other without being joined.

[0038] It is sufficient that there is essentially no space between the first cover 21 and the second cover 22, and for example, a space that inevitably occurs when the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 are brought into contact entirely is acceptable.

[0039] The effects of the present embodiment described above are as follows: The first cover 21 and the second cover 22 are in contact with each other so that no space is formed between them. This allows the first cover 21 to efficiently absorb and damp vibrations of the second cover 22.

[0040] As in the first embodiment, the multiple first connection parts 11 can form a space between the compressor 2 and the inner surface of the first cover 21, thereby effectively suppressing noise generated by the compressor 2.

[0041] As in the first embodiment, the second cover 22 is provided to house the first cover 21. As a result, sound generated by the compressor 2 is converted into thermal energy and attenuated as it propagates through the first cover 21. The sound is then reflected inward by the second cover 22, which has a higher density than the first cover 21. The reflected sound is further attenuated by the first cover 21. As a result, the low-density first cover 21 and the high-density second cover 22 can reduce the propagation of sound from the compressor 2 to the outside of the enclosure 1.

[0042] As in the first embodiment, the skin layer 21 a (see FIG. 4A ) may be removed to create a large number of depressions on the foamed surface of the first cover 21. This mechanically and / or chemically bonds the second cover 22 to the first cover 21, improving the reliability of the bonded portion and preventing the bonded portion from peeling and causing contact noise between the first cover 21 and the second cover 22.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 are described as being made of a foamed resin material, but other porous resin materials may be used. For example, a porous resin material may be used in which nitrogen or carbon dioxide is blown into the resin material during kneading, without using a foaming agent. In this case, when molding the second cover 22, nitrogen or carbon dioxide is not blown into the resin during kneading.

[0044] The compressor enclosure and the compressor unit described in each of the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0045] A compressor enclosure (1) according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a first cover (21) that houses and surrounds a compressor (2), a plurality of first connection parts (11) that connect the first cover and the compressor while forming a space between the first cover and the compressor, and a second cover (22) that houses and surrounds the first cover and has a higher density than the first cover.

[0046] The multiple first connection portions form a space between the compressor and the inner surface of the first cover, thereby effectively suppressing noise generated by the compressor. The second cover is provided to accommodate the first cover. As a result, sound generated by the compressor is converted into thermal energy and attenuated as it propagates through the first cover. The sound is then reflected inward by the second cover, which has a higher density than the first cover. The reflected sound is further attenuated by the first cover. This reduces the transmission of compressor sound to the outside of the enclosure by the low-density first cover and the high-density second cover. The first cover may be made of a material that is rigid enough to deflect under its own weight, such as a foamed resin material (e.g., soft PUR foam) made from foamed polyurethane or polyisocyanurate. The second cover may be made of a material that is rigid enough to maintain its shape without deflecting under its own weight, such as a plastic material such as PP (polypropylene) or PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), or a hard resin material that is not foamed or only foamed to a small extent, as used in the first cover. The first and second connection parts are sufficient as long as they connect two opposing members when the enclosure is attached to the compressor, and may be fixed to the opposing members by integral molding or adhesive bonding, or may be fixed by being pressed down with a compressive force in a removable manner without using adhesive bonding, etc.

[0047] The compressor enclosure according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is provided with a plurality of second connection portions (12) that connect the first cover and the second cover while forming a space between the first cover and the second cover in the first aspect.

[0048] The multiple second connection parts can form a space between the first cover and the second cover, thereby reducing vibration propagation from the first cover to the second cover. Furthermore, the reflection and attenuation of sound waves at the boundary between the second connection parts and the first cover can reduce sound radiation from the second cover to the outside. Furthermore, by forming a space between the first cover and the second cover using the second connection parts, it is possible to prevent the first cover from vibrating due to vibrations of a vehicle body equipped with a compressor, etc., and coming into contact with the second cover and generating noise.

[0049] A compressor enclosure according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the first aspect, wherein the second connection portion is provided at a different position from the first connection portion when viewed from the second cover.

[0050] When viewed from the second cover, the second connection portion is provided at a different position from the first connection portion, thereby preventing sound (vibration) from the compressor from being directly propagated through a solid to the second cover via the first connection portion, the first cover, and the second connection portion. Since the solid-borne sound propagating from the first connection portion to the first cover passes through the first cover on its way to the second cover, the sound (vibration) can be absorbed and attenuated. Furthermore, since the second cover is connected to the first cover at the second connection portion, the first cover can absorb and attenuate vibrations of the second cover.

[0051] In the compressor enclosure according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the second or third aspect, the first cover is made of a foam, and the second connection portion is joined to a foam surface (21c) of the first cover.

[0052] By mechanically and / or chemically bonding the second connection portion to the numerous depressions that appear on the surface of the foamed surface of the first cover, the reliability of the bond is improved and it is possible to prevent the bond from peeling off and causing contact noise between the first cover and the second connection portion.

[0053] In the compressor enclosure according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the first cover and the second cover are in contact with each other so that no space is formed between them.

[0054] The first cover and the second cover are contacted so as not to form a space between them. This allows the first cover to efficiently absorb and damp vibrations of the second cover. Note that "so as not to form a space" means that no space is actually formed, and for example, a space that is unavoidably formed when the first cover and the second cover are in total contact is acceptable.

[0055] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the compressor enclosure of the fifth aspect, the first cover is made of a foam, and the second cover is joined to a foam surface of the first cover.

[0056] By mechanically and / or chemically bonding the second cover to the numerous depressions that appear on the surface of the foamed surface of the first cover, the reliability of the bond is improved and it is possible to prevent the bond from peeling off and causing contact noise between the first cover and the second cover.

[0057] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in the compressor enclosure of the fourth or sixth aspect, the foamed surface is formed by removing a surface of the first cover.

[0058] By removing the surface of the first cover, which is relatively dense and formed during the manufacturing process of the first cover, sound reflection from the surface can be reduced, thereby efficiently absorbing sound from the compressor, sound reflected from the second cover, and sound transmitted through the compressor and the second cover. It is preferable to remove the skin layers on both the front and back sides of the first cover, as this can suppress sound reflection from the front and back sides of the first cover.

[0059] A compressor unit according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes the compressor enclosure according to any one of the above aspects, and the compressor housed in the compressor enclosure.

[0060] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Enclosure (enclosure for compressor) 2 Compressor 2A Compression section 2B Motor section (electric motor section) 3 Mounting leg section 5 Discharge port (extension section) 7 Intake port (extension section) 9 Wiring guide tube (extension section) 10 Main body section 10A, 10B Divided body 11 First connection section 12 Second connection section 14 Sealing material 21 First cover 21a Skin layer 21b Core layer 21c Foamed surface 22 Second cover P Divided surface

Claims

1. A compressor enclosure comprising: a first cover that houses and surrounds a compressor; a plurality of first connection parts that connect the first cover to the compressor while forming a space between the first cover and the compressor; and a second cover that houses and surrounds the first cover and has a greater density than the first cover.

2. A compressor enclosure as described in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second connection portions that connect the first cover and the second cover while forming a space between the first cover and the second cover.

3. A compressor enclosure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second connection portion is provided at a position different from that of the first connection portion when viewed from the second cover.

4. The compressor enclosure according to claim 2, wherein the first cover is made of a foam, and the second connection portion is joined to a foam surface of the first cover.

5. The compressor enclosure of claim 1, wherein said first cover and said second cover are in contact with each other such that no space is formed between said first cover and said second cover.

6. The compressor enclosure according to claim 5, wherein said first cover is made of foam, and said second cover is bonded to a foam surface of said first cover.

7. The compressor enclosure according to claim 4 or 6, wherein the foamed surface is formed by removing a surface of the first cover.

8. A compressor unit comprising: a compressor enclosure according to claim 1; and a compressor housed in the compressor enclosure.

Images