Abstract:
A compressor comprises a compressor pump unit and a motor for driving the pump unit. A compressor housing surrounds the compressor pump unit and the motor. A cable supplies power to the motor through a power supply housing mounted to the compressor housing. The power supply housing has a fence with a slot that permits insertion of the cable along a first axis and removal of the cable along a second axis transverse to the first axis. A clip couples the cable to the power supply housing, limiting movement of the cable along the second axis.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a clip for a power supply housing of a compressor canister.  
           [0002]    Compressors are typically mounted within a sealed housing structure, such as a shell. The housing structure receives a compressor pump unit and an electric motor for driving the compressor pump unit. Refrigerant flows within the compressor housing for cooling the electric motor. The motor requires a source of current to power its windings. One recent power supply for a sealed compressor communicates power to the electric motor from a removable cable located on the outside of the housing structure. The cable is connected to terminals that act as electrical contacts to carry the power to the electric motor within the housing structure.  
           [0003]    In this type of compressor, a protective cover, such as a power supply housing, serves to create a barrier between the terminal ends and the environment. This power supply housing is attached to the compressor canister. The power supply housing may comprise two pieces: a terminal fence or wall that attaches to the compressor canister and a cover which connects to the terminal fence. This two-piece assembly permits an installer to make the terminal connections between the cable and the canister and then place the cover over the terminal fence.  
           [0004]    The terminal fence has a slot to permit the cable to pass through its wall. The slot is generally u-shaped to permit the cable to be quickly laid in the slot of the fence. This feature, however, also allows the cable to slip out of the slot or at least move somewhat after installation. Moreover, a protective tube or conduit comprising a hollow cylinder may receive the cable and serve to seal the slot around the cable. This conduit may be secured axially along the cable&#39;s length but may also slip out of the U-shaped opening or move within the spring after installation.  
           [0005]    A need therefore exists to better secure the cable and protective conduit to their proper location about the slot.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The invention comprises a compressor assembly. As known, the assembly has a compressor pump unit and a motor powering the pump unit. A housing surrounds the compressor pump unit and the motor, providing a protective and sealed environment. A cable communicates electricity to the motor through electrical contacts on the housing. Protecting the contacts from the environment is a power supply housing. The power supply housing has a slot to receive the cable. This slot permits insertion of the cable into the housing along a first axis and also permits removal of the cable along a second axis transverse to the first axis. A clip serves to connect the cable to the housing and limit movement of the cable along the second axis.  
           [0007]    In addition, the compressor may have a conduit disposed around the cable to provide further protection of the cable and the electrical contacts. The conduit may comprise a threaded portion that mates with a nut. The conduit is inserted into the slot and the nut tightened around the slot and within the housing, thereby preventing the conduit from moving along the first axis outwardly of the slot.  
           [0008]    A lip may be formed around the slot. In this instance, the clip may connect to this lip. The clip may comprise a ring having one leg that engages the lip and prevents movement of the cable along the second axis. Preferably, more legs may be formed on the clip to better secure the clip to the lip of the slot. The legs of the clip may expand to permit the clip to be snapped onto the lip. A cover may be placed over the fence to provide additional protection for the electrical contacts of the compressor housing.  
           [0009]    Accordingly, a cable may be set into the slot of the power supply housing of the compressor. The cable is then secured to the power supply housing along a first axis. The cable is clipped to this housing to prevent movement of the cable along a second axis transverse to the first axis. The clip may attach to a conduit disposed around the cable. In this way, the cable is secured to the slot. Once secured in this fashion, an installer is then free to make the necessary terminal connections between the cable and the compressor motor without concern of having the cable slip out of the slot.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 shows compressor housing, power supply housing, and cable.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the power supply housing including cable, conduit, clip, nut and terminal connections.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2A shows a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 illustrates the clip of FIGS. 2 and 3.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative view of the clip of FIG. 3.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 illustrates a cross sectional view of the clip placed over the lip of the fence of the cable housing of FIGS. 2 and 2A.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 illustrates the placement of the clip on the lip of the fence of FIG. 5.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the clip assembled with conduit and nut.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 illustrates another view of the embodiment of FIG. 7 with the cover removed.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 8 with cover snapped to the fence. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 illustrates an environmental view of the invention, compressor  20 . As known, compressor  20  comprises a compressor pump unit  21  and an electric motor  23  supported and protected by compressor housing  24 . The pump unit  21  is preferably a scroll compressor, as shown, but other sealed compressors will benefit from this invention. Power is supplied to compressor  20  and to motor therein by cable  28 , which may be connected to a source of electrical power. Power supply housing  32  is mounted to compressor housing  24  and provides protection for the electrical interface between cable  28  and the interior of compressor housing  24 . Housing  32  is preferably provided with terminal connections to the motor, and is preferably potted. The power supply housing interior may be generally as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,528. As shown, wires  25  (shown schematically) connect housing  32  to motor  23 . Cable  28  is connected to wires  25  such as shown at  27  within housing  32 .  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded greatly simplified view of power supply housing  32 . As shown from this view, power supply housing  32  comprises fence  36  and cover  40 . Fence  36  has slot  44 , which may be a u-shaped opening in fence  36 . Fence  36  comprises a wall with an interior room  38  where cable  28  connects to terminal ends  48 , which are the electrical contacts for supplying power to the motor. Cable  28  may be inserted along the x-axis or laid onto slot across the y-axis as a consequence of the u-shaped opening of slot  44 . In addition, cable  28  is also removable along both the x-axis and y-axis. The x-axis is orthogonal to the y-axis as shown here.  
         [0023]    Disposed around cable  28  is conduit  56 , which comprises a hollow cylinder to permit the insertion of cable  28  and to seal slot  44  from the environment. Threaded portion  60  is insertable through slot  44 . Nut  64  mates with threaded portion  60  inside the housing  32  to secure conduit  56  along the x-axis. Clip  52  provides the inventive aspect of this assembly by securing cable and conduit  56  along the y-axis.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2A better illustrates this inventive feature. This figure shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 2. As shown, cable  28  and conduit are inserted through slot  44 . Surrounding slot  44  is lip  68 , a protrusion formed on fence  36 . Nut  64  is tightened on threaded portion  60  of conduit  56 , preventing conduit  56  from moving along the x-axis. Clip  52  is disposed around both conduit  56  and cable  28 . In addition, leg  72 A of clip  52  contacts lip  68  of fence  36 , thereby limiting movement of conduit  56  and cable  28  along the y-axis. Clip  52  accordingly locks conduit  56  and cable  28  in place to reduce movement of cable  28  and protect the connection of terminals  48 . Accordingly, cable  28  and conduit  56  are secured along the y-axis.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 illustrates a close up view of the inventive clip  52 . Clip  52  comprises ring  76  having four legs,  72 A,  72 B,  72 C and  72 D. Clip  52  is made of a resilient material, such as steel. As shown in FIG. 4, legs  72 A,  72 B,  72 C and  72 D are spaced radially about equal distance from each other along ring  76 . Legs  72 A and  72 C are also spaced apart an unflexed distance WI. Due to the resilient nature of the material used, legs  72 A and  72 C may expand to a distance W2 greater than W1. Leg  72 B and  72 D may share a similar relationship.  
         [0026]    As shown in FIG. 5, clip  52  maybe snapped onto lip  68  by positioning clip  52  over lip  68  and moving clip  52  along the direction of arrow F, which is also along the x-axis. As legs  72 B and  72 C contact lip  68 , they flex outward expanding from distance W1 to width W2. While leg  72 D does not contact lip  68 , leg  72 A will contact lip  68  and thereby be displaced so that distance between leg  72 A and  72 D is greater than W1. For example, lip  68  contacts leg  72 B pushing leg  72 B in the direction of arrow H while lip  68  contacts leg  72 C and pushes leg  72 C in the direction of arrow G. Leg  72 A also operates in the same manner. As can be seen, a ramped outer surface  69  of lip  68  facilitates the movement.  
         [0027]    As shown in FIG. 6, once clip  52  is placed completely on lip  68 , legs  72 A,  72 B and  72 D of clip  52  apply force around lip  68 . The lip  72 A is not shown in FIG. 6, but as can be seen in FIG. 2A, it would directly block movement out of the slot. For example, leg  72 C applies force in the direction of arrow I while leg  72 B applies force in the direction of arrow J. Clip  52  is thereby retained on lip  68 . In both of these figures, it should be noted that leg  72 D is not in contact with lip  68  due to its placement over the opening of slot  44 . While only three legs operate to retain clip  52  onto lip  68 , a fourth leg offers the installer of clip  52  the convenience of an additional leg to align clip  52  on lip  68  and to ensure contact of a leg on lip.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 illustrates the assembly without a cover. Fence  36  is connected to conduit  56  with conduit  56  secured along two different directions by two connectors. Nut  64  secures conduit  56  along the x-axis while clip  52  secures conduit  56  along the y-axis.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 8 shows the assembly with cover  40 . Fence  36 , clip  52 , conduit  56 , and nut  64  are also shown. Cover  40  may be snapped into fence  36  as known by inserting cover  40  into fence  36  along arrow K. Once these features have been secured and cable  28  connected to terminal ends  48 , cover  40  may be placed within fence  36  by moving cover  40  in the K direction, which is toward compressor pump unit  21 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 9 illustrates the final assembly with cover placed within fence  36 . As shown, conduit  56  is secured to fence  36  by clip  52  and nut  64 . Clip  52  connects conduit  56  to lip  68  of fence  36 .  
         [0031]    The aforementioned description is exemplary rather that limiting. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. Hence, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For this reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.