Patent ID: 6634870
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: F04B,Y10S

Abstract:
A hermetic refrigerant compressor, comprising:a hermetically sealed housing having a wall, said wall having a suction opening; a compressor mechanism disposed in said housing, said compressor mechanism having a gas compression chamber therein and a discharge passage in communication with a discharge plenum; and a motor comprising a stator, a rotor attached to a crankshaft drivingly linked to said compressor mechanism, said rotor surrounded by said stator, a first gap formed between said rotor and said stator, and a second gap formed between said stator and said compressor mechanism, said discharge plenum in communication with said first and second gaps wherein during compressor operation discharge gas expelled from said gas compression chamber travels through said discharge passage, enters said discharge plenum from said discharge passage, and then substantially all of the refrigerant gas exiting said discharge plenum enters one of said first and second gaps from said discharge plenum, a spinning vortex of refrigerant gas being generated in said discharge plenum responsive to the spinning of said rotor and which has an outer flow path of warmer gas which travels through said second gap and an inner flow path of cooler gas which travels through said first gap, whereby motor cooling is improved.