Electrical Arrangement Assembly Structure on the External Region of the Hermetic Housing of the Compressor

Abstract

It is disclosed an electrical arrangement assembly structure on the external region of the hermetic housing of the compressor, whereby the insulating box, capable of housing, within the same, at least one electrical arrangement necessary for the operation of the compressor, is coupled to the external region of the hermetic housing of the compressor by means of angular movement between said insulating box and a hinge element attached to the hermetic housing of the compressor.

Claims

1. Electrical arrangement assembly structure on the external region of the hermetic housing of the compressor, characterized by the fact that it comprises: at least one insulating box capable of accommodating within the same at least one electrical arrangement necessary for the operation of the compressor; said insulating box comprising at least an opening for access to the electrical terminals of the electrical arrangement, and at least one housing region (12); at least one hinge element fixed to the external region of the hermetic housing of the compressor, close to the electrical terminals of the electrical interface between the internal region and the external region of the hermetic housing of the compressor; said hinge element comprising at least one pivot handle; the housing region of the insulating box and the pivot handle of the hinge element being cooperative with each other, in order to enable an angular movement between said insulating box and said hinge element.

2. Assembly structure, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the end of angular movement between the insulating box and the hinge element results in the electrical connection between the electrical terminals of the electrical arrangement and the electrical terminals of the electrical interface between the internal region and the external region of the hermetic housing of the compressor.

3. Assembly structure, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the hinge element comprises a hole, with the electrical interface between the internal region and the external region of the hermetic housing of the compressor is disposed in the interior of said orifice.

4. Assembly structure, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the opening for access to the electrical terminals of the electrical arrangement of the insulating box comprises a shape and dimensions analogues to the shape and dimensions of the hole of the hinge element.

5. Assembly structure, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it further provides at least one sealing means opening of the insulating box and the electrical interface.

6. Assembly structure, according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the sealing means comprises a gasket; said gasket is housed in a channel existing in the contact face of the contour wall of the opening of the insulating box.

7. Assembly structure, according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the sealing means is defined by the physical contact between a contour rib disposed on the contact face of the contour wall of the opening of the insulating box and the hinge element.

8. Assembly structure, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the maintenance of the position of the insulating box in relation to the hinge element occur by cooperation between the locking tab of the hinge element and a coupling portion of the insulating box.

9. Assembly structure, according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the cooperation between the locking tab of the hinge element and an engaging portion of the insulating box further has a fixing element capable of traversing said locking tab and said engaging region.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0018] The preferred embodiment of the invention in question is described in detail on the basis of the listed figures, which are merely exemplary and not limiting, as adaptations and modifications may be made without thereby departing from the general scope of the invention in question.

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates the electrical arrangement assembly structure according to the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates the hinge element according to the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 3 is intended to illustrate, in a static manner, the pivoting movement of the hinge element for engaging the electrical arrangement assembly structure;

[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates, in enlarged detail, the electrical arrangement assembly structure properly coupled to the external region of the hermetic housing of the compressor;

[0023] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the physical cooperation between the electrical arrangement assembly structure shown in FIG. 1, and the hinge element shown in FIG. 2 (in these figures, for better understanding, the compressor is not shown).

[0024] FIGS. 7 and 9 illustrate possible embodiments of the electrical arrangement sealing means in accordance with the present invention; and

[0025] FIGS. 8 and 10 illustrate, in enlarged sections, details of the possible embodiments of the electrical arrangement sealing means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] As illustrated in the figures, the present invention relates to an electrical arrangement assembly structure in the external region of the hermetic housing of a refrigeration compressor, which is fundamentally integrated by an insulating box 1 and a hinge element 2.

[0027] The cooperation between the insulating box 1 and hinge element 2 allows the electrical connection between the electrical terminals 3 of the electrical arrangement (existing inside the insulating box 1) and the electrical terminals 5 available in the hermetic housing 4 of the compressor to occur by means of a pivoting motion, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the insulating box 1, especially suitable for enclosing an electrical arrangement (not shown), comprises a body which, made of electrical insulating material, comprises an opening 11 dedicated to exposing the electrical terminals 3 of the electrical arrangement, a housing region 12 dedicated for receiving a portion of the hinge element 2, and a housing cradle 13 for an electrical grounding terminal 14.

[0029] Said opening 11 comprises a circular contour, which is especially suited to the electrical interface supporting the electrical terminals 5 of the compressor.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the hinge element 2 comprises a rigid plate provided with a hole 21, a pivot handle 22 and a grounding tab 23.

[0031] As occur with the opening 11 of the insulating box 1, the hole 21 of the hinge element 2 also comprises a circular contour, which is especially suited to the electrical interface supporting the electrical terminals 5 of the compressor. The pivot handle 22 adequate to be housed in the housing region 12 of the insulating box 1 comprises an extension arranged in the same general plane as the hinge element 2. The grounding tab 23 adequate for cooperation with the housing cradle 13 (and with the electrical grounding terminal 14), comprising an extension perpendicular to the general plane of the hinge element 2.

[0032] For purposes of descriptive sufficiency, the compressorpreferably, but not limited tosuitable for refrigeration systems, comprises a hermetic housing 4 in whose interior is arranged a functional compression mechanism fundamentally integrated by a cylinder-piston mechanism and by an electric motor. Said compressor further comprises an electrical interface between the internal region and the external region of the hermetic housing 4, being that said electric interface supports the electrical terminals 5 of the compressor, which have electrical connection with the motor disposed in the interior the hermetic housing 4.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it is noted that the hinge element 2 is fixed to the external region of the hermetic housing 4 so that its hole 21 is housed around the electrical interface. This fixation is watertight, and the hinge element 2 and hermetic housing 4 do not perform any type of relative movement between them. The pivot handle 22 of the hinge element 2 is housed in the housing region 12 of the insulating box 1. This housing allows the insulating box 1 to develop controlled angular movement with respect to the hinge element 2 and, hence, in relation to the hermetic housing 4. The physical embodiment of the fit between the pivot handle 22 of the hinge element 2 and the housing region 12 of the insulating box 1 may be any that permits angular (and pivoting) movement between these two coupling points. Of course, the length of the pivot handle 22 of the hinge element 2 and the positioning of the housing region 12 of the insulating box 1 are such that they allow, in a final coupling position between the electrical terminals 3 of the electrical arrangement contained within the insulating box 1 and the electrical terminals 5 of the compressor, the alignment between the opening 11 of the insulating box 1 and the electrical interface.

[0034] Therefore, one of the merits of the invention in question is to create a kind of momentum guide (angular movement) for coupling between the electrical terminals 3 of the electrical arrangement contained within the insulating box 1 and the electrical terminals 5 of the compressor, this movement guide being defined by details of dimension and positioning of the pivot handle 22 of the hinge element 2 and the housing region 12 of the insulating box 1. This construction, which defines a pivoting means between the insulating box 1 and the hermetic housing 4 is surely responsible for optimizing all the assembly issues previously quoted and present in the solutions that integrate the current state of the art.

[0035] Another of the merits of the invention in question is achieved by the possibilities of sealing means existing between the opening 11 of the insulating box 1 and the electrical interface 5, as illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10.

[0036] In FIGS. 7 and 8, it is noted that one of the possibilities of sealing means between the opening 11 of the insulating box 1 and the electrical interface is the application of a gasket 6, preferably of the oring type, between the contact region of the opening 11 of the insulating box 1 and the electrical interface 5. For this purpose, the opening 11 of the insulating box 1 has a contour wall whose contact face has a channel especially suitable for retaining the gasket 6. In the end positioncoupling between the electrical terminals 3 of the electrical arrangement contained within the insulating box 1 and the electrical terminals 5 of the compressorgasket 6, in contact with the hinge element 2, prevents access (of insects, for example) to the interior of the insulating box 1.

[0037] In FIGS. 9 and 10, it is noticed that one of the possibilities of sealing means between the opening 11 of the insulating box 1 and the electrical interface is the application of the concept of maze, in which the opening 11 of the insulating box 1 has a contour wall whose contact face has a contour rib 7 of diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole 21 of the hinge element 2, and in the end positioncoupling between the electrical terminals 3 of the electrical arrangement contained within the insulator box 1 and the electrical terminals 5 of the compressorthe contour rib 7 combined with the hinge element 2 prevents access (of insects, for example) to the interior of the insulator box 1.

[0038] The positioning of the insulating box 1 in relation to the hinge element 2 and, consequently, in relation to the hermetic housing 4 is maintained by cooperation between the housing cradle 13 (and its electrical grounding terminal 14) of the insulating box 1 and the grounding tab 23 of the hinge element 2. The physical and electrical connection between these elements can be optimized by inserting, for example, a metal screw 8.

[0039] It is important to emphasize that the above description is intended solely to describe, in an exemplary way, the particular embodiment of the invention in question. Therefore, it is clear that modifications, variations and constructive combinations of elements that perform the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve the same results, remain within the scope of protection delimited by the appended claims.