End element for the stator of an electric motor of a hermetically sealed refrigerant compressor

Abstract

End element for the stator of an electric motor of a hermetically sealed refrigerant compressor including at least one isolating element, having a ring-like core, to cover an axial end portion of the stator and to isolate a stator core and stator windings. The end element includes several spring holders extending radially outside the isolating element, each spring holder being adapted to hold a spring for supporting the electric motor in a housing of the hermetically sealed refrigerant compressor. The spring holders are oriented parallel to the axis of the isolating element and an insertion part of each spring holder extends in a first axial direction beyond the neighboring area of the isolating element. The spring holders and the isolating element are integral parts of the end element. The spring holders are tiltable so that an extended part of a spring holder tilts radially inwards.

Claims

1. An end element for a stator of an electric motor of a hermetically sealed refrigerant compressor, whereas the end element comprises at least one isolating element which is adapted to cover an axial end portion of the stator and to isolate a stator core and stator windings, whereas the isolating element has a ring-like structure, whereas the end element comprises more than one spring holder, each spring holder being adapted to hold a spring for supporting the electric motor in a housing of the hermetically sealed refrigerant compressor, whereas the spring holders extend radially outside the isolating element, whereas the spring holders are oriented parallel to an axis of the isolating element and an insertion part of each spring holder extends in a first axial direction beyond neighboring area of the isolating element, whereas the spring holders and the isolating element are integral parts of the end element, wherein the spring holders are tiltable with relation to the isolating element so that an extended part of a spring holder, which extended part extends in a second axial direction beyond the neighboring area of the isolating element, can tilt radially inwards so that in an operational state of the end element, the extended part of the spring holder can contact a lateral surface of the stator core.

2. The end element according to claim 1, wherein the spring holder includes a hollow body with at least one stiffening rib inside the hollow body extending from one side wall to the opposing side wall of the hollow body.

3. The end element according to claim 2, wherein the stiffening rib extends radially.

4. The end element according to claim 1, wherein at a side facing the isolating element, a cross section of the extended part has a form of a circular arc.

5. The end element according to claim 4, wherein an angular range of the circular arc, measured with reference to the ring-like isolating element, is between 10° and 40°.

6. The end element according to claim 4, wherein an angular range of the circular arc, measured with reference to the ring-like isolating element, is between 25° and 35°.

7. The end element according to claim 4, wherein the side of the extended part facing the isolating element is tilted radially outwards by a draft angle so that a radius of the side is growing with growing axial distance from the isolating element.

8. The end element according to claim 1, wherein the extended part broadens in the direction radially inwards.

9. The end element according to claim 1, wherein each spring holder is partially enclosed by a rim which extends to a web oriented normal to the axis of the isolating element and additionally connects the spring holder in a symmetric manner to the isolating element.

10. The refrigerant compressor comprising a hermetically sealed housing and a drive unit disposed in the interior of the housing, the drive unit comprising the electric motor with the stator, wherein an end element according to claim 1 is mounted on the stator, whereas the end element comprises at least one isolating element which covers the axial end portion of the stator and isolates the stator core and the stator windings, whereas each spring holder holds the spring which supports the electric motor in the housing of the hermetically sealed refrigerant compressor, whereas the extended part of the spring holders in a first position with relation to the stator, when the refrigerant compressor is not loaded, each extended part having a radial distance to the lateral surface of the stator core, and whereas the extended part of at least one spring holder in a second position with relation to the stator, when the refrigerant compressor is loaded, contacts the lateral surface of the stator core due to a tilt radially inward from the first position into the second position.

11. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 10, wherein a tilt angle between first position and second position is in the range between 1° and 10°.

12. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 10, wherein a tilt angle between first position and second position is in the range between 1° and 5°.

13. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 10, wherein a tilt angle between first position and second position is in the range between 1° and 3°.

14. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 10, wherein in the first position the radial distance between the extended part of the spring holders and the lateral surface of the stator core is less than 1 mm.

15. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 10, wherein in the first position the radial distance between the extended part of the spring holders and the lateral surface of the stator core is less than 0.5 mm.

16. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 10, wherein in the first position the radial distance between the extended part of the spring holders and the lateral surface of the stator core is equal to or more than 0.1 mm.

17. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 10, wherein in the first position the side of extended part facing the isolating element is tilted radially outwards by a draft angle so that the radius of the side is growing with growing axial distance from the isolating element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The invention will now be explained in greater detail using exemplary embodiments. The drawings are meant as examples and are supposed to present the idea of the invention, but by no means to restrict it or to reproduce it in final manner.

(2) In this regard, the figures show:

(3) FIG. 1 the perspective view of an end element according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 2 the side view of the end element of FIG. 1,

(5) FIG. 3 the top view of the end element of FIG. 1,

(6) FIG. 4 the bottom view of the end element of FIG. 1,

(7) FIG. 5 the perspective view of a stator with an end element of FIG. 1,

(8) FIG. 6 the side view of the stator of FIG. 5,

(9) FIG. 7 the top view of the stator of FIG. 5,

(10) FIG. 8 the bottom view of the stator of FIG. 5,

(11) FIG. 9 a longitudinal cross section of a refrigerant compressor with an end element of FIG. 1, the section plane including the axis of the stator but no spring holders,

(12) FIG. 10 a longitudinal cross section of a refrigerant compressor with an end element of FIG. 1, the section plane being parallel to the section plane of FIG. 9, going through two spring holders,

(13) FIG. 11 a longitudinal cross section of a refrigerant compressor with an end element of FIG. 1, the section plane including the axis of the stator and two spring holders,

(14) FIG. 12 a longitudinal section through one spring holder in the unloaded state,

(15) FIG. 13 a longitudinal section through one spring holder in the loaded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(16) FIG. 1 shows an end element 1 comprising one isolating element 2 having a ring-like structure and four spring holders 3. The spring holders 3 are situated radially outside the isolating element 2. The end element 1 is made of plastic as one part. The end element 1 can be made as a plastic injection moulded part. The end element 1 has protrusions 13 oriented radially inward which align the end element 1 to the stator core of stator 14 (for stator 14 see e.g. FIG. 9) and isolate stator core and stator windings. Each spring holder 3 is mainly a hollow body with at least one stiffening rib 4 inside the hollow body extending from one side wall to the opposing side wall of the hollow body. The stiffening rib 4 extends radially with relation to the axis 5 of the isolating element 2, see FIG. 2.

(17) The side 23 of the extended part 7 of the spring holder 3, see FIG. 2, facing the isolating element 2 has a cross section in the form of a circular arc.

(18) According to FIG. 2, the spring holders 3 are oriented parallel to the axis 5 of the isolating element 2. The insertion part 6 of each spring holder 3 extends in a first axial direction 8 beyond the neighbouring area of the isolating element 2, which first axial direction 8 is downwards here. Here the second axial direction 9, into which the extended part 7 extends, is upwards. The insertion part 6 can be inserted into a helical spring 10, see FIGS. 9 and 10. Here the stiffening rib 4 extends through the whole spring holder 3 in axial direction, that is from the extended part 7 down to the bottom of insertion part 6.

(19) The extended part 7 broadens in the direction radially inwards, which can be seen best in FIGS. 3 and 4. Each spring holder 3 is partially enclosed by a rim 11 which extends to a web 12 oriented normal to the axis 5 of the isolating element 2 and additionally connecting the spring holder 3 in a symmetric manner to the isolating element 2, that is, web 12 on one side of the spring holder 3 is symmetric to the web 12 on the other side of the spring holder 3. The axis of symmetry would here contain the stiffening rib 4. The rim 11 separates the spring holder 3 in insertion part 6 and extended part 7, see FIG. 2.

(20) In FIG. 3 the angular range 26 of the circular arc of the side 23 of the extended part 7, measured with reference to the ring-like isolating element 2, i.e. with reference to axis 5, here is about 29°. The angular range 27 of the insertion part 6 here is about 10°.

(21) FIG. 5-8 show a stator with an end element 1 according to the invention mounted at one axial end portion of the stator 14, here at the lower end of the stator which is close to the bottom of the refrigerant compressor in the operational status. The stator 14 has a stator core having several pole teeth on its radial inside, said pole teeth being formed by stator webs and salient poles on the inside of the stator opening. In grooves formed between the pole teeth, stator windings are located, each surrounding a stator web. Between the stator core and the stator windings is located an electrical isolation in the form of an upper end element 15 and a lower end element, whereas the lower end element is an end element 1 according to the invention. It is not excluded that additionally the upper end element 15 is made according to the invention. Each end element 1,15 is mounted on an axial end face of the stator core. The two end elements 1,15 are at least very close to each other in the middle of the stator 14. Thus, the two end elements 1,15 form a complete electrical isolation between the stator windings and the stator core. For motors for less than 50 V it is sufficient that the two end elements 1,15 are at least very close to each other. For motors with higher voltage it is favourable that the two end elements 1,15 overlap in the middle of the stator 14. The end elements 1,15 are held at the stator core in a form-fitting manner.

(22) A cover element 16 additionally covers the end element 1 at the bottom. It can be made of plastic and e.g. snapped onto end element 1. Since the electrical connection between the coils of the stator windings of the stator 14 are placed on the outer diameter of the end element 1 the cover element 16 has the function to generate an isolation between these connection wires 28 and the helical springs 10, see FIG. 11.

(23) FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 show a refrigerant compressor with a hermetically closed housing 17, here comprising an upper housing part 24 which is welded to a lower housing part 25. Via four helical springs 10 the drive unit 18 is supported on the lower housing part 25 of the housing 17, or rather on its bottom. The drive unit 18 comprises a piston/cylinder unit and the electric motor. The electric motor has a stator 14 and a rotor 19. The rotor 19 is unrotatably connected to a crank shaft 20 and rotates inside a central opening of the stator 14. The rotor 19 here is an IPM (internal permanent magnet) rotor. The end element 1 is mounted on the lower axial end portion of the stator 14.

(24) In the bottom of the refrigerant compressor second spring holders 21 are located, on which the helical springs 10 are mounted. The second spring holders 21 comprise substantially cylindrical sections. Also the insertion part 6 of the spring holder 3 has at least partially a cylindrical form for insertion into the helical spring 10. The end of the insertion part 6 of the spring holder 3 has at least partially an approximate frustoconical form.

(25) In extreme vertical load situations the insertion part 6 of spring holder 3 contacts the second spring holder 21 which gives additional stability to the drive unit 18.

(26) In FIG. 11 the section plane includes the axis 5 of the stator 14 and two spring holders, which means that the section plane of FIG. 11 is turned by 45° with relation to the section plane of FIG. 9. It can be seen in FIG. 11 that the cover element 16 separates connection wires 28 from the helical springs 10.

(27) In FIGS. 12 and 13 the actual displacement of spring holder 3 has been increased by a factor of 30 to better show the end element 1 in its loaded and thus deformed shape. FIG. 12 shows one spring holder 3 which is tiltable with relation to the isolating element 2. In FIG. 12 the drive unit 18 is not loaded so the extended part 7, namely its side 23, has a radial distance 30 to the lateral surface 22 of stator 14 (only a part of stator 14 is depicted here and in FIG. 13). So in this situation the end element 1, namely the isolating element 2, contacts the stator 14 only at its front end. The radial distance 30 between extended part 7 of spring holder 3, i.e. its side 23, and lateral surface 22 of the stator core of stator 14 here is approximately 0.1 mm at the bottom of the extended part 7. This means that the radius of the circular arc of the side 23 is at least 0.1 mm larger than the radius of the stator 14. This radial distance 30 is needed to allow for mounting the end element 1 to the stator 14 and for tilting the extended part 7 radially inwards.

(28) Generally, in this unloaded first position, side 23 and lateral surface 22 can be parallel to each other or they can be arranged in an angle to each other, as in FIG. 12. This draft angle 29 should be smaller than the tilt angle. In FIG. 12 the side 23 is tilted radially outwards by a draft angle 29 of 0.5°. This means that the radius of the side 23 is growing with growing axial distance from the isolating element 2, i.e. in the direction vertically upwards. So the radial distance 30 between side 23 of extended part 7 and stator 14 is not constant along the axial direction, it increases starting from 0.1 mm at the bottom of extended part 7. In FIG. 12 the axis of the spring holder 3 is depicted as a dotted line and is vertical.

(29) In FIG. 13 the stator 14 is loaded, e.g. pressed downwards against the section of the isolating element 2 contacting the stator 14 on its end face. The spring holder 3 tilts inside from the first position to the second position so the side 23 of the extended part 7 touches the lateral surface 22 of stator 14 and thus embraces the stator 14 at its lateral side 22. The axis of the spring holder 3 is again depicted as a dotted line. The angle between the axis of the spring holder 3 and the vertical is the tilt angle. The spring holder 3, and its side 23, is tilted in the amount of the tilt angle against the vertical direction, i.e. against the first position of FIG. 12. A typical tilt angle for small compressors would be 1.25°.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(30) 1 end element 2 isolating element 3 spring holder 4 stiffening rib 5 axis 6 insertion part 7 extended part 8 first axial direction 9 second axial direction 10 helical spring 11 rim 12 web 13 protrusions 14 stator 15 upper end element 16 cover element 17 housing 18 drive unit 19 rotor 20 crank shaft 21 second spring holder 22 lateral surface 23 side of extended part 7 24 upper housing part 25 lower housing part 26 angular range of the circular arc of side 23 27 angular range of the insertion part 6 28 connection wires 29 draft angle 30 radial distance