Hermetic compressor

• US 20060013697A1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uratani, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 7,568,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/36
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 39/0238 with oil distribution channels
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/356 with vanes reciprocating with respect to the outer member
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2240/803 Electric connectors or cables; Fittings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2240/809 Lubricant sump
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 417/902 Hermetically sealed motor pump unit

Abstract

A hermetic compressor includes a housing which accommodates a motor and a compressing mechanism, an oil surface sensor mounted to a side wall of the housing, and refrigerating machine oil. The oil surface sensor is integrally formed of a detector for detecting a position of the oil surface of the refrigerating machine oil and a hermetic terminal. The hermetic terminal is placed at an end of a cylindrical tube having a smaller diameter than that of the housing, and the detector of the oil surface sensor is disposed inside the cylindrical tube.

Claims

1. A hermetic compressor comprising:

a housing accommodating a motor and a compressing mechanism driven by the motor;

refrigerating machine oil pooled in the housing; and

an oil surface sensor disposed to a side wall of the housing, wherein the oil surface sensor includes;

a detector for detecting a position of oil surface of the machine oil;

a hermetic terminal integrally formed with the detector; and

a first cylindrical tube having a smaller diameter than that of the housing,

wherein the hermetic terminal is disposed at a first end of the first cylindrical tube, and the detector is disposed inside the first cylindrical tube.

2. The hermetic compressor of claim 1, wherein the oil surface sensor has a lid at a second end of the first cylindrical tube, and the lid is equipped with a second cylindrical tube and a third cylindrical tube, both the tubes have smaller diameters than that of the first cylindrical tube.

3. The hermetic compressor of claim 1, wherein the detectors are mounted at a place in a middle of an upper limit and a lower limit of the oil surface of the machine oil in the housing and at a place lower than the middle.

4. The hermetic compressor of claim 2, wherein the detectors are mounted at a place in a middle of an upper limit and a lower limit of the oil surface of the machine oil in the housing and at a place lower than the middle.

5. The hermetic compressor of claim 1, wherein the detector employs a thermistor, which detects a temperature difference between gas refrigerant and the refrigerating machine oil both in the housing, for detecting a position of the oil surface.

6. The hermetic compressor of claim 2, wherein the detector employs a thermistor, which detects a temperature difference between gas refrigerant and the refrigerating machine oil both in the housing, for detecting a position of the oil surface.

7. The hermetic compressor of claim 3, wherein the detector employs a thermistor, which detects a temperature difference between gas refrigerant and the refrigerating machine oil both in the housing, for detecting a position of the oil surface.

8. The hermetic compressor of claim 4, wherein the detector employs a thermistor, which detects a temperature difference between gas refrigerant and the refrigerating machine oil both in the housing, for detecting a position of the oil surface.