Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
10152025CA 02265081 1999-03-09Leonelo Antonio CalciolariJosé Mario SilvaSUSPENSION SPRING SUPPORTF R HERMETIC COMPRESSORSThe present invention relates to hermetic compressors, particularlyreciprocating piston hermetic compressors, and methods for their assembly.Reciprocating piston hermetic compressors presently known and widelyutilized typically have their motor and compression mechanism subassembliessuspended or supported within their housings by a plurality of springs. Suspensionsprings for such compressors are attached between supports distributed about andconnected to the interior of the housing and portions of the motor and compressionmechanism subassembly, such as the frame thereof.With reference to the above presently existing and utilized supports for suchsuspension springs, previous compressors often require the use of a spring supporthaving two parts in order to facilitate easy and convenient assembly of the compressor.On the other hand, there presently exist hermetic compressor units in whicheach suspension spring support consists of only one part, but which require additionalradial space between the interior of the housing and the compressor subassembly framein order to accommodate easy and convenient assembly of the compressor. This isbecause the respective supports are already bent into their conï¬guration before beingattached to the interior of the housing before installation of the motor and compressionmechanism subassembly thereinto.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe suspension spring support of the present invention and the inventivemethod of assembling such compressors overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.The inventive support is able to combine, under conditions of extraordinaryequilibrium, the positive characteristics of both types of known supports but is notaffected by their respective drawbacks.In other words, the suspension spring support of the present invention is madeas a whole, single part for each suspension spring, but does not require eitheradditional radial space between the interior of the housing and the motor and1015202530CA 02265081 1999-03-09compression mechanism subassembly, or any movement of the compressor assemblyat the place and time of installation of the motor and compression mechanismsubassembly.The inventive spring support referred to, therefore, is essentially made of asingle stamped part that, during its stamping is not completely bent into its speciï¬c anddeï¬nitive conï¬guration, this being done only at the time of the installation of themotor and compression mechanism subassembly into the housing, its ï¬nalconï¬guration being obtained with the use of manual or automatic tools, as thecompressor assembly moves on the production line.The present invention provides a hermetic compressor assembly including ahousing, a compression mechanism, an electric motor in driving communication withthe compression mechanism, the motor and compression mechanism comprising asubassembly installed in said housing, and a plurality of spring supports of single-piece construction and having ï¬rst and second portions and a border therebetween.The ï¬rst portion is attached to said housing and the second portion has an arcuateopening at the border, such that the second portion can be bent inwardly at the border.A suspension spring is attached to each spring support and extends between therespective support second portion and the subassembly and is attached to thesubassembly.The present invention also provides a method for assembling a hermeticcompressor and has the steps of: providing a housing, a compression mechanism andelectric motor subassembly, a plurality of spring supports having ï¬rst and secondportions, and a plurality of suspension springs; attaching the ï¬rst portion of eachsupport to the housing; installing the subassembly into the housing past the springsupports; then bending the supports between their ï¬rst and second portions in aradially inward direction; attaching the springs to the respective second supportportions; and then attaching the springs to the subassembly. The subassembly is thussupported within the housing by the supports through the springs.BRIEE DESQRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe aboveâmentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and themanner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be1015202530CA 02265081 1999-03-09better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of theinvention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a hermetic compressor embodying thepresent invention;Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional side view of the presentinvention shown in Figure 1;Figure 3A is a frontal View of the suspension spring support shown as obtainedby its ï¬nal stamping operation;Figure 3B is a proï¬le view of the suspension spring support shown inFigure 3A;Figure 3C is a longitudinal central section view, along 3C-3C in Figure 3A;Figure 4 is a frontal view of the suspension spring support blank shown prior toits ï¬nal stamping operation;Figure 5 repeats the section view in Figure 3C, but with the spring support inits ï¬nal deï¬nitive bent configuration as obtained during the assembling of thecompressor assembly with its suspension spring; andFigure 6 is a side view of the suspension spring.DETAILED DESQRIPTION QF THE INVENTIONThe hermetic compressor assembly described herein is commonly use inrefrigeration systems. Referring ï¬rst to Figures 1 and 2, hermetic compressorassembly 10 includes compression mechanism 12, which in the depicted embodimentis a reciprocating piston type, electric motor 14, housing 16, suspension spring support22, and suspension spring 46. Compression mechanism 12 includes cylinder 60,piston 62, and connecting rod 64. Electric motor 14 includes rotor 5 6, stator 58,crankshaft 66 and frame 68. Frame 68 has tapped holes 70 in frame extension 72 fortl1readedly receiving a plurality of springs 46 as discussed ï¬irther hereinbelow.Compression mechanism 12 and motor 14 in combination form subassembly 48.Housing 16 comprises lower portion 18 and cover 20, each of which may be made insteel. Electrical power supplied to motor 14 through stator 58 drives the rotation ofrotor 56 and crankshaft 66 coupled to rotor 56. Eccentric portion 63 of crankshaft 66drives piston 62 through connecting rod 64. Suction tube 74 passes through lower1015202530CA 02265081 1999-03-09housing portion 18, delivering refrigerant into compressor assembly 10. Therefrigerant ï¬ows into cylinder 60 and is compressed by piston 62. The high pressurerefrigerant then exits the compressor assembly through a discharge tube (not shown).Oil 76 for lubrication of compressor assembly 10 is disposed in lower housingportion 18.A plurality of suspension spring supports 22, at least three, are attached tolower portion 18 by any suitable means, such as means of resistance welding and aredistributed about the cylindrical interior surface of lower portion 18 approximatelyequal distance from one another. Spring 46 extends between support 22 and tappedhole 70 in frame extension 72 of subassembly 48. Intermediary tongue 38 of support22 provides a stop for frame extension 72 to protect the tip of crankshaft 66 fromcontacting lower housing portion 18.As shown in Figures 3A - 3C, the suspension spring support 22 consists of asingle unit, entirely stamped from sheet steel, with a surface slightly arched intransverse direction. Support 22 contains ï¬rst portion 25 and second portion 27. Firstportion 25 includes narrow section 26. Second portion 27 includes large middlesection 24 and lower section 32. Middle section 24 is substantially of trapezoidalshape, and extending from its smaller base is substantially plane, rectangular andnarrow section 26 with a free edge made up of two symmetrically inclined andconvergent portions 28 that are interconnected by arched end portion 30. Middlesection 24, from its wider base, extends over large lower section 32. Lower section 32is basically rectangular in shape, but with large polygonal and symmetrical cuts 45 inborder 34 forming two lateral and trapezoidal end points 36, as well as a wideintermediary tongue 38, slightly trapezoidal, with two inclined planes and orthogonallybent forward. End points 36 include projecting contact portions 54 for resistantwelding support 22 to the interior surface of lower housing portion 18.Furthermore, narrow section 26 has centrally and longitudinally located largecircular oriï¬ce 40 with salient ring border 42 and large transverse aperture 44 in theshape of a quarter moon directly adjacent oriï¬ce 40. Aperture 44 is placed very nearthe separation line between end section 26 and middle section 24.1015202530CA 02265081 1999-03-09The single and whole support part for the suspension spring, presented here, isobtained from the ï¬nal stamping operation as described above and illustrated inFigures 3A through 3C. Figure 4 shows support 22 as a blank prior to its ï¬nalstamping operation.Spring 46, as shown in Figure 6, has three portions 50, 51, 52. First portion 50and third portion 52 include a plurality of coils having substantially uniform diameters.The diameter of ï¬rst portion 50 is greater than the diameter of third portion 52.Second portion 51 includes a plurality of coils of varying diameters such that portion51 is generally tapered between the diameter of ï¬rst portion 50 and the diameter ofthird portion 52. The diameter of oriï¬ce 40 is smaller than the diameter of ï¬rst portion50 and greater than the diameter of third portion 52 and the largest diameter of portion51. Second portion 51 and third portion 52 of spring 46 are disposed through oriï¬ce40 until ï¬rst portion 50 abuts with the perimeter of oriï¬ce 40 as shown in Figure 5.Third portion 52 of spring 46 in Figure 2 is threadedly received in tapped hole 70provided in frame extension 72 of subassembly 48.Assembly of the compressor on the production line includes the followingsteps. Lower housing portion 18 with a plurality of unbent supports 22 as shown inFigs. 3A-3C attached thereto is received by an assembler. The assembler insertscompression mechanism and motor subassembly 48 into lower housing portion 18,aligning frame extensions 72 with supports 22. Next the assembler bends supports 22into their ï¬nal conï¬guration, as shown in Figure 5, with a manual or automatic tool.The deï¬nitive, ï¬nal conï¬guration is imparted to support 22 by bending narrow section26 forward, which is made possible and facilitated by the presence of the quarter-moonshaped transverse aperture 44, giving section 26 a slightly inclined and ascendingorientation. Springs 22 are disposedpthrough each oriï¬ce 40 of supports 22 andthreadedly attached to tapped holes 70 provided in frame extensions 72. Subassembly48 is thus suspended from supports 22 through spring 46. Cover 20 is then attached tolower housing portion 18. Notably, suspension spring 46 may be positioned in thelarge circular oriï¬ce 40 either before or after the bending operation.While this invention has been described as having different embodiments, thepresent invention can be further modiï¬ed within the spirit of the scope of thisCA 02265081 1999-03-09disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, oradaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application isintended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known orcustomary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within thelimits of the appended claims.
