Compressor unit and refrigerator using the unit

• US 7,134,295 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Maekawa, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Application Number:
  US10/504,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20050103036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 622/281, 622/285, 622/29, 622/30, 417/14, 417/292
• US Class Current: 62/228.1
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0201 Current
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0202 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/10 Inlet temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers

Abstract

A compressor unit includes a compressor, an inverter for driving the compressor, and an over-current protective device for protecting the inverter against an output over-current. A control part controls the output voltage of the inverter when the compressor is started based on a ambient temperature detected by a temperature sensor so that the input current of the inverter does not exceed the working current value of the over-current protective device having temperature characteristics varying according to the ambient temperature. Thereby, a start torque can be increased by increasing the output voltage of the inverter without operating the over-current protective device when the compressor is stated at a low temperature when a start load is increased.

Claims

1. A compressor unit comprising a compressor, an inverter for driving the compressor, and an over-current protective device for protecting the inverter against an output over-current,

wherein a working current value of the over-current protective device has temperature characteristics varying according to an ambient temperature, the compressor unit further comprising:

a temperature sensor for detecting the ambient temperature, and

a control part for controlling an output voltage of the inverter on occasion of start of the compressor on basis of the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor,

wherein the working current value of the over-current protective device has temperature characteristics in which the lower ambient temperature results in the larger working current value and in which the higher ambient temperature results in the smaller working current value, and

wherein the control part determines the inverter output voltage on occasion of the start on basis of the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor so that the lower the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor is, the higher the inverter output voltage on occasion of the start is and so that the higher the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor is, the lower the inverter output voltage on occasion of the start is.

2. The refrigerator including the compressor unit as claimed in claim 1.

3. The compressor unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control part determines the inverter output voltage on occasion of the start on basis of the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor so that an output current or an input current of the inverter is smaller than and in vicinity of the working current value of the over-current protective device corresponding to the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

4. The refrigerator including the compressor unit as claimed in claim 3.