Abstract:
A connector for a hermetic compressor and a working fluid suction device using such a connector are provided. The compressor includes a suction pipe coupled to a casing so as to transfer working fluids into a silencer housed in the casing to attenuate noise. The connector includes a connector pipe extending between the suction pipe and the silencer and coupled to a communication pipe provided on an outer surface of the silencer, an enlarged-diameter part extending from the connector pipe toward the suction pipe at a predetermined angle; and a contact skirt provided at a leading edge of the enlarged-diameter part. The contact skirt comes into close contact with an inner circumferential surface of the casing, allowing working fluids to flow into the silencer without leakage, thus improving fluid flow into the compressor.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    This relates to a hermetic compressor, and more particularly to a connector for a hermetic compressor which optimizes working fluid that flows into the compressor, enters a compression chamber thereof, and is sucked into a suction silencer for removing noises generated from the compression chamber, and a suction device of working fluid using the same. 
         [0003]    2. Background 
         [0004]    Hermetic compressors may employ suction silencers to attenuate noise generated during operation of the compressor. However, leakage of working fluids and interrupted flow of working fluids in the compressor can degrade compressor performance. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Accordingly, the embodiments broadly described herein solve the above-mentioned problems. An object is to provide a connector for a hermetic compressor which allows working fluids transferred from the outside of the compressor to the inside to smoothly flow in a suction silencer without leakage. 
         [0006]    Another object is to provide a connector for a hermetic compressor to guide working fluids into a suction silencer which is disposed on the side of a suction silencer, thereby efficiently utilizing the inner space of a hermetic vessel. 
         [0007]    In order to accomplish these objects, there is provided a connector for a hermetic compressor comprising a suction pipe connected to a hermetic vessel to transfer working fluids into the hermetic vessel; and a suction silencer optimizing the working fluids introduced through the suction pipe, transferring the working fluids toward a compression chamber, and removing noises, the connector comprising a connector pipe communicating with the suction pipe and the suction silencer to transfer the working fluids through the suction silencer, and connected with a communication pipe formed on one face of the suction silencer, an enlarged-diameter part having an enlarged diameter and extending from the connector pipe toward the suction pipe, a center line thereof intersecting a center line of the connector pipe at a certain angle, and a contact skirt sharply enlarging from a leading end of the enlarged-diameter part, an inner edge thereof coming into close contact with an inner face of the hermetic vessel. 
         [0008]    The communication pipe may be provided on the lower side of the suction silencer, and the enlarged-diameter part enlarging on the rear side of the communication pipe and extending corresponding to the curved face of the hermetic vessel. 
         [0009]    An inner diameter face of the connector pipe may come into close contact with an outer diameter face of the communication pipe of the suction silencer. 
         [0010]    The connector pipe, the enlarged-diameter part, and the contact skirt may be formed in one piece by an elastic material. 
         [0011]    In accordance with another embodiment as broadly described herein, there is provided a working fluid suction device for a hermetic compressor, the device comprising a suction pipe connected to a hermetic vessel to transfer working fluids into the hermetic vessel; a suction silencer receiving, through a communication pipe provided on its one side, the working fluids introduced through the suction pipe, optimizing the working fluids, transferring the working fluids toward a compression chamber, and removing noises, and a connector installed in the communication pipe of the suction silencer, a leading end thereof coming into close contact with an inner face of the hermetic vessel to transfer the working fluids between the suction pipe and the suction silencer, the connector including a connector pipe connected with the communication pipe, an enlarged-diameter part enlarging from the connector pipe, a center line thereof intersecting a center line of the connector pipe at a certain angle, and a contact skirt extending from a leading end of the enlarged-diameter part, an inner face thereof coming into close contact with the inner face of the hermetic vessel. 
         [0012]    The communication pipe may be installed so as to thread the lower side of the suction pipe. 
         [0013]    The enlarged-diameter part may have an enlarged diameter and extend from the leading end of the connector pipe toward the suction pipe positioned on the inner face of the hermetic vessel corresponding to the rear side of the suction silencer. 
         [0014]    The connector may be made of an elastic material. 
         [0015]    In accordance with still another embodiment as broadly described herein, there is provided a working fluid suction device for a hermetic compressor, the device comprising a suction pipe connected to a hermetic vessel to transfer working fluids into the hermetic vessel; a suction silencer receiving the working fluids introduced through the suction pipe, optimizing the working fluids, transferring the working fluids toward a compression chamber, and removing noises, and a connector made of an elastic material and connected between the suction silencer and the suction pipe to transfer the working fluids therebetween, the connector including a connector pipe communicating with the inside and outside of the suction silencer, and an enlarged-diameter part enlarging from a leading end of the connector pipe toward the suction pipe and inclined at a certain angle with respect to an extending direction of the connector pipe. 
         [0016]    The enlarged-diameter part may have an enlarged diameter and extend from the leading end of the connector pipe provided on the side of the suction silencer toward the suction pipe positioned in an inner face of the hermetic vessel corresponding to the rear side of the suction silencer. 
         [0017]    The connector may further include a contact skirt that has a sharply increasing diameter and extends from a leading end of the enlarged-diameter part, an inner face thereof coming into close contact with the inner face of the hermetic vessel. 
         [0018]    In the connector for the hermetic compressor and the working fluid suction device using the same having the above described constructions, the working fluids smoothly flow in the suction silencer without leakage, fluidity of the working fluids in the connector is improved, and the suction device does not occupy much of the inner space of the hermetic vessel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments as broadly described herein will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an appearance of an exemplary suction silencer; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of an exemplary suction device of working fluid; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a hermetic compressor employing a suction device of working fluids according to an embodiment as broadly described herein; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view of the construction of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a suction silencer and a connector in accordance with embodiments as broadly described herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description and drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and so repetition of the description on the same or similar components will be omitted. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows an appearance of a suction silencer, and  FIG. 2  shows a suction device of working fluid. In these  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the suction silencer  1  includes an upper body  4  and a lower body  3  in which space is provided where working fluid flows and noises are removed. 
         [0027]    Disposed on one side of the upper body  4  or the lower body  3 , is a communication pipe  5  communicating with the inside and outside of the body, to which pipe a connector  6  is installed. The connector  6  serves to guide the working fluids flowing in the compressor into the internal space of the suction silencer  1 . Particularly, the connector  6  is made in a bellows type and is able to be deformed to some extent, and as shown in  FIG. 2 , comes into contact with an inner face of a hermetic vessel  8 . The connector  6  is provided such that an inlet portion thereof is relatively wide and the other portion communicating with the communication pipe  5  is relatively narrow. Thus, even when the suction silencer  1  moves to some extent, the connector allows working fluids to flow inside through the communication pipe  5 . 
         [0028]    On the suction silencer  1 , an ejection port  7  is provided that selectively communicates with the compression chamber through a valve assembly. The ejection port  7  is a portion for ejecting, to the compression chamber, working fluids having flowed through the suction silencer  1 . 
         [0029]    The suction silencer constructed as above is mounted in a cylinder together with the valve assembly, a head cover assembly and the like, and the connector  6  is installed so that a leading end thereof comes into close contact with the inner face of the hermetic vessel where a suction pipe  9  is connected. 
         [0030]    However, although the bellows type connector  6  comes into close contact with the inner face of the hermetic vessel  8 , much unevenness is formed on a passage in which working fluids flow, thereby deteriorating the fluidity of the working fluids. Further, the connector  6  is installed so as to protrude toward the inner face of the hermetic vessel  8  confronting the front face of the cylinder where the suction silencer  1  is mounted, that is, the connector  6  is installed in front of the suction silencer  1 , so that the hermetic vessel  8  is elongated in that direction. 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a hermetic compressor employing a suction device of working fluids according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,  FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view of the construction of the silencer and connector, and  FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a suction silencer and a connector as embodied and broadly described herein. 
         [0032]    Referring to these drawings, an appearance of the compressor consists of a lower vessel  10  and an upper vessel  12 . The lower vessel  10  and the upper vessel  12  are coupled to each other to form therein a hermetic space. The vessels  10  and  12  each are formed in a substantially semi-spherical shape so that inner faces or outer faces thereof are curved. Inside the hermetic space, parts constituting the compressor are installed. Under the lower vessel  10 , a mounting plate  14  is installed. The mounting plate  14  is fixed in a position where the compressor is installed. 
         [0033]    Next, a pipe is installed on the lower vessel  10  to allow working fluids to flow between the inside and outside of the hermetic space. That is, a suction pipe  16  is installed through the lower vessel  10  to transfer working fluids into the hermetic space. An ejection pipe  18  is installed through the lower vessel  10  opposite to the suction pipe  16 . A reference numeral  19  is a process pipe. The process pipe  19  is a passage for injecting oil or working fluids into the hermetic space, if needed. 
         [0034]    Inside the hermetic space, a frame  20  is supported on the bottom face of the lower vessel  10  by an elastic member (not shown). The frame  20  is provided with various parts constituting a compressor. A motor  22  is provided in the frame  20 . The motor  22  consists of a stator  23  and a rotor  24 . The rotor  24  rotates in the stator  23  with electromagnetic interaction with the stator  23 . 
         [0035]    A compressing device  25  is installed on the frame  20 . The compressing device  25  compresses working fluids using power of the motor  22  received via a crank shaft  26 . 
         [0036]    The compressing device  25  is provided with a valve assembly  27  for transferring working fluids between the inside and the outside of a compression chamber, and a head cover  28  forming a passage of working fluids flowing through the valve assembly  27 . A suction silencer  30  is mounted on a cylinder block, together with the valve assembly  27  and the head cover  28 . The suction silencer  30  transfers the working fluids transferred from outside of the compressor to the compression chamber, and removes noises of the valve assembly  27 . 
         [0037]    The suction silencer  30  is formed by coupling a lower body  31  and an upper body  32  with each other. Inside the suction silencer  30 , a space is provided in which a certain passage is formed, so that working fluids enter the compression chamber with an optimized state, and noises generated from the compression chamber side, i.e., the valve assembly  27  and the like, are reversely transferred and reduced. 
         [0038]    The suction silencer  30  is provided, on its one lower side, with a communication pipe  33 . The communication pipe  33  communicates with the inside and outside of the lower body  31 . A connector  34  is connected to the communication pipe  33 . The connector  34  is made of an elastic material. The elastic material may be, for example, rubber. 
         [0039]    The connector  34  is provided with a connector pipe  35  connected to the communication pipe  33 . The connector pipe  35  is connected with the communication pipe  33  such that its inner diameter face comes into close contact with the outer diameter face of the communication pipe  33 . 
         [0040]    An enlarged-diameter part  36  is provided so as to be inclined at a certain angle with respect to the extending direction of the connector pipe  35 . That is, the connector pipe  35  and the enlarged-diameter part  36  have center lines intersecting with each other at a certain angle. Such inclination of the enlarged-diameter part  36  with respect to the connector pipe  35  is for making the connector  34  positioned on the side of the suction silencer  30 . Since the enlarged-diameter part  36  is inclined to the connector pipe  35  at a certain angle, it is shaped corresponding to the curved shape of the lower vessel  10 . The connector  34  shaped as above can come into close contact with an inner face of the lower vessel  10 . 
         [0041]    In the present embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the connector pipe  35  is connected to the communication pipe  33  provided on the lower side of the suction silencer  30 , and the enlarged-diameter part  36  has an enlarged diameter and extends toward the rear side of the communication pipe  33 . In addition, the enlarged-diameter part  36  extends corresponding to the curved face of the hermetic vessel. 
         [0042]    With the structure of the connector  34 , even when the suction pipe  16  passing through the lower vessel  10  is not in a coaxial line with the communication pipe  33 , the connection therebetween is easily implemented. That is, the connector  34  makes it possible to connect the suction pipe  16  and the communication pipe  33  that are not on the same axial line. 
         [0043]    The enlarged-diameter part  36  has an enlarged diameter and extends from a leading end of the connector pipe  35  toward the suction pipe  16 . That is, a cross-section of the enlarged-diameter part  36  gradually increases toward the inner face of the lower vessel  10 . Thus, the enlarged-diameter part  36  has a relatively small diameter at its portion connected to the connector pipe  35 . The diameter thereof gradually increases as it extends away from the connector pipe  35 . In this embodiment, the enlarged-diameter part  36  is provided such that the diameter thereof sharply increases at a portion connected to the connector pipe  35 , and gradually increases after that portion. 
         [0044]    The enlarged-diameter part  36  is provided with a contact skirt  37  at its leading end. The contact skirt  37  is a portion that comes into contact with the inner face of the lower vessel  10 . The contact skirt  37  is shaped so as to sharply enlarge from the leading end of the enlarged-diameter part  36 , so that its inner face comes into close contact with the inner face of the lower vessel  10 . The contact skirt  37  allows working fluids entering inside the hermetic vessel through the suction pipe  16  to flow in the suction silencer  30  without leakage. 
         [0045]    Meanwhile, an ejection portion  38  is provided in the middle of the upper face of the upper body  32 . The ejection portion  38  serves to transfer working fluids having flowed through the suction silencer  30  to the compression chamber. Of course, through the ejection portion  38 , noises generated from the valve assembly  27  and the like are transferred into the suction silencer  30 . The ejection portion  38  is a portion for allowing the suction silencer  30  to be coupled with the valve assembly  27  side, and is mounted on the front face of the cylinder together with the valve assembly  27  by the head cover  28 . 
         [0046]    Description will now be made of the operations of the connector of the hermetic compressor and the suction device of working fluids using the same in accordance with embodiments as broadly described herein. 
         [0047]    When the compressor is driven, power is supplied to the motor  22  to rotate the rotor  24  and then a crank shaft  26 . When the crank shaft  26  is rotated, the compressing device  25  is driven to compress working fluids. 
         [0048]    That is, when a piston is moved to a bottom dead point in the compression chamber, working fluids are sucked from the suction silencer  30  to the compression chamber. Such suction force is motive power for sucking working fluids from the outside to the inside of the compressor. 
         [0049]    Thus, the working fluids are sucked into the hermetic vessel through the suction pipe  16 . The working fluids sucked into the hermetic vessel through the suction pipe  16  are not leaked through the connector  34  because the inner face of the contact skirt  37  of the connector  34  is in close contact with the inner face of the hermetic vessel so that they are transferred to the communication pipe  33  through the enlarged-diameter part  36  and the connector pipe  35 . The working fluids transferred to the communication pipe  33  pass through the inside of the suction silencer  30  and escape outside through the ejection portion  38 . That is, the working fluids flow in the compression chamber through the ejection portion  38 . 
         [0050]    Meanwhile, the connector  34  allows working fluids to smoothly flow without hindrance because there is no protrusion on the inner face thereof. The contact skirt  37  comes into close contact with the inner face of the hermetic vessel, so that the working fluids introduced through the suction pipe  16  can be transferred to the suction silencer  30  without leakage. 
         [0051]    Further, even when the suction silencer  30  is agitated due to vibrations of the frame  20  upon operation of the compressor, working fluids can be securely transferred to the suction silencer  30 . This is because the connector  34  itself is made of an elastic material, and particularly, the contact skirt  37  is variably adhered to the inner face of the hermetic vessel, thereby effectively preventing leakage of working fluids. 
         [0052]    Furthermore, since the connector pipe  35  and the enlarged-diameter part  36  are inclined to each other at a certain angle, the connector  34  can come into close contact with the lower vessel  10 , the inner face of which is curved. In addition, the connector  34  does not require much installation space. In this embodiment, the connector  34  may be positioned in the interspace between the side of the suction silencer  30  and the inner face of the lower vessel  10 . 
         [0053]    As set forth before, the connector of the hermetic compressor and the working fluid suction device using the same as embodied and broadly described herein have the following effects. 
         [0054]    First, the connector communicating between the suction pipe and the suction silencer is made of an elastic material and has no protrusion therein, so that working fluids can flow smoothly. Particularly, the contact skirt is in close contact with the inner face of the hermetic vessel, thereby minimizing the leakage of working fluids. Thus, the working fluids introduced into the hermetic vessel are prevented from being leaked, and the working fluids are not affected by the internal space of the hermetic vessel, thereby increasing the compression efficiency of the compressor. 
         [0055]    Moreover, the connector is connected between the communication pipe on the side of the suction silencer and the suction pipe passing through the hermetic vessel such that it communicates with the suction pipe in the state where the communication pipe and connector are installed at the side of the suction silencer, so that a gap between the suction silencer and the hermetic vessel can be minimized. Thus, the internal space of the hermetic vessel can be efficiently utilized, thereby providing an effect of making the size of the compressor smaller. 
         [0056]    Although certain embodiments are described herein for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the embodiments as disclosed in the accompanying claims. 
         [0057]    For instance, while the embodiment has illustrated that the connector pipe  35  is coupled to the communication pipe  33  provided on one side of the suction silencer  30 , the connector  34  may be directly coupled to one side of the suction silencer  30  so as to allow the inside and outside of the suction silencer  30  to communicate with each other. 
         [0058]    Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments. 
         [0059]    Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.