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Suction muffler for hermetic compressor

Suction muffler for hermetic compressor description/claims

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-75969 filed on Jul. 27, 2007, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hermetic compressor, and more particularly to a suction muffler for removing noise from a path of a working fluid to a compression chamber in a hermetic compressor.

2. Description of the Prior Art

FIG. 1 shows the internal construction of a hermetic compressor according to the prior art. As shown, the exterior of the compressor is formed by a hermetic container, which is separated into a lower container 1 and an upper container (not shown). The hermetic container houses various components of the compressor. A mounting plate 3 is positioned beneath the lower container 1 to retain the compressor in a specific position.

A frame 5 is installed inside the lower container 1 and is provided with various components of the compressor. A motor unit 7 is positioned beneath the frame 5. Particularly, a stator 8 is fixedly installed on the frame 5, and a rotator 9 is installed to extend through the interior of the stator 8 vertically. The rotator 9 is rotated by its electromagnetic interaction with the stator 8.

A structure for compressing the working fluid by means of driving force from the motor unit 7 is positioned on the frame 5. A crankshaft 10 is installed to extend through the frame 5 so that its center of rotation coincides with that of the rotator 9. A portion of the crankshaft 10, which extends below the frame 5, is press-fitted to the center of the rotator 9 so that the crankshaft 10 and the rotator 9 rotate as an integral unit.

An eccentric pin 11 is positioned on the top of the crankshaft 10 at a distance from the center of rotation of the crankshaft 10. The eccentric pin 11 is connected to one end of a connecting rod 13, the other end of which is connected to a piston 15 so that rotational force of the crankshaft 10 is converted into a linear reciprocating movement of the piston 15.

The piston 15 is positioned inside a compression chamber formed to extend through a cylinder 17 positioned on the frame 5. The piston 15 linearly reciprocates inside the compression chamber to compress the working fluid.

A valve assembly 18 is installed on the leading end of the cylinder 17 to control the working fluid flowing into/out of the compression chamber. A head cover assembly 19 is provided together with the valve assembly 18, and the interior of the head cover assembly 19 is structured so that, after passing through the valve assembly 18, the working fluid can flow therein.

In order to remove the noise of the working fluid flowing into the compression chamber of the cylinder 17 via the valve assembly 18, a suction muffler 20 is provided, the construction of which will now be described with reference to FIG. 2.

The suction muffler 20 consists of upper and lower bodies 21 and 22, which have a predetermined space defined therein. The upper and lower bodies 21 and 22 are coupled to each other by ultrasonic welding so that a space is created inside the suction muffler 20. To this end, the upper and lower bodies 21 and 22 have ultrasonic welding protrusion and recess 21′ and 22′ formed thereon, respectively. It is to be noted that the ultrasonic welding protrusion 21′ is first inserted into the ultrasonic welding recess 22′, and then they are welded to each other by ultrasonic waves.

An emitter 23 protrudes from the upper body 21. The emitter 23 is positioned between the head cover assembly 19 and the valve assembly 18 to selectively communicate with the compression chamber. A passage extends inside the emitter 23 so that the interior of the suction muffler 20 communicates with the compression chamber. The passage leads to an exit duct 24 inside the upper body 21.

A suction unit 25 is formed on one side of the lower portion of the lower body 22. A suction hole 26 is formed on the suction unit 25 so that the outside of the suction muffler 20 communicates with the inside of the lower body 22. The working fluid is delivered into the suction muffler 20 via the suction hole 26.

In the drawing, reference numeral 20′ refers to an emission muffler, and reference numeral 27 refers to an oil discharge hole for discharging oil, which has been delivered into the suction muffler 20, to the outside.

However, the above-mentioned suction muffler according to the prior art has the following problems.

The ultrasonic welding between the upper and lower bodies 21 and 22 according to the prior art requires that the ultrasonic welding protrusion 21′ be inserted into the ultrasonic welding recess 22′. However, the ultrasonic welding protrusion and recess 21′ and 22′ extend throughout the entire portions of the upper and lower bodies 21 and 22, which are coupled to each other, as closed loops. This means that it is very difficult to couple the ultrasonic welding protrusion and recess 21′ and 22′ to each other accurately and simultaneously. The fact that there is no structure for guiding the coupling between the ultrasonic welding protrusion and recess 21′ and 22′ makes the coupling process even more difficult.

After the ultrasonic welding protrusion and recess 21′ and 22′ are coupled to each other anyhow, they must be welded to each other. Particularly, parts of the ultrasonic welding protrusion and recess 21′ and 22′ are melted and integrated to each other. However, this welding process requires heating, which creates welding burrs as parts of the ultrasonic welding protrusion and recess 21′ and 22′ melt and then solidify. The welding burrs may move together with the working fluid inside the compressor and cause it to malfunction.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and the present invention provides a suction muffler having structures formed on corresponding portions of bodies, which are to be coupled to each other, to guide the coupling between the bodies.

The present invention also provides a suction muffler having bodies coupled to each other by geometric characteristics of coupling protrusion and recess of the bodies.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a suction muffler for a hermetic compressor, including a first body having an inner space having an opening; a second body having an inner space having an opening, the second body being coupled to the first body to create a space for allowing a working fluid to flow and for removing noise; and a coupling protrusion and a coupling recess having a coupling rib and a coupling channel formed in corresponding positions along rims of the openings of the inner spaces of the first and second bodies, respectively, so that the first and second bodies are coupled to each other by coupling the coupling rib and the coupling channel to each other.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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