Pumps – With muffler acting on pump fluid
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-12
2001-01-23
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Pumps
With muffler acting on pump fluid
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176688
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to compressor assemblies, and particularly to discharge muffler arrangements therefor.
Prior art hermetic compressor assemblies have, in some instances, comprised a discharge muffler disposed within its housing. In some cases, a plurality of such internal discharge mufflers have been in fluid communication with each other, either in series or in parallel. Further, in some embodiments of prior compressor assemblies, these discharge mufflers include chambers at least partially hemispherical in shape.
In certain embodiments of prior hermetic compressor assemblies, discharge gas compressed in the compression mechanism thereof, which may be of a reciprocating piston type, is exhausted through a conduit from the cylinder head to a first hemispherical chamber, and from that first hemispherical muffler chamber via a second conduit to a second, nearly identical hemispherical muffler chamber, and from the second muffler chamber via a third conduit which extends through the compressor housing to a refrigeration or air conditioning system comprising a condenser, and evaporator, and an expansion device in fluid communication with the compressor.
Such prior art discharge muffler arrangements, however, are not configured for optimally muffling pumping noise associated with the discharge fluid which flows therethrough. The discharge fluid flow exhausted from the compression mechanism contains pressure pulses associated with the cyclic compression of the fluid therein. These pressure pulses are conveyed with the fluid through the first conduit to the first muffler chamber, wherein the magnitude of the pulses are only somewhat attenuated before the discharge fluid flow exits the first muffler chamber and continues through the second conduit to the second muffler chamber. Similarly, the pressure pulses contained in the fluid flow exiting the first discharge muffler chamber and entering the second discharge muffler chamber, are somewhat further reduced in magnitude within the second chamber. The discharge fluid flow then exits the second discharge muffler chamber, conveyed via the third conduit through the compressor assembly housing wall to the remainder of the refrigerant system.
While somewhat effective at attenuating the pressure pulses carried by the discharge fluid flow, and thereby providing some muffling of the noise associated with compressor operation, the positioning of the inlet and outlet of both discharge muffler chambers in previous such discharge muffler arrangements has been primarily for convenience of construction, packaging and adaptation to the size of the compressor, rather than for obtaining maximum attenuation of pressure pulses and radiated sound. Consequently, prior compressor discharge muffler arrangements are not optimized and thus their performance leaves something to be desired. An improved compressor discharge muffler arrangement which provides quieter compressor and refrigerating system operation without appreciably compromising performance or increasing costs is desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the shortcomings of previous hermetic compressor discharge muffler arrangements, even those which comprise a plurality of discharge mufflers, by providing a way of optimizing muffler performance through placement of the conduits leading to and from a muffler chamber.
The present invention provides a compressor assembly including a housing, a motor and a compression mechanism disposed within the housing, the compression mechanism driven by the motor. A pulsating discharge fluid flow emanates from the compression mechanism through a first conduit; the first conduit having an outlet which is open to a discharge muffler chamber. A standing pressure waveform is established by the first pulsating discharge fluid flow within the discharge muffler chamber. A second conduit is provided which has an inlet which is open to the discharge muffler chamber and disposed outside the standing pressure waveform therein, and an outlet through which discharge fluid exits, whereby the magnitude of the discharge pulse transmitted by the discharge fluid is attenuated.
Certain embodiments of the present invention further provide that the second conduit has an outlet open to a second discharge muffler chamber, whereby the first and second discharge muffler chambers are series-connected. The pulsating discharge fluid flow is conveyed from the first discharge muffler to the second discharge muffler chamber through the second conduit, and a second standing pressure waveform is established within the second discharge muffler chamber. The second discharge muffler chamber has an outlet opening disposed outside the second standing pressure waveform, through which discharge fluid exits the second discharge muffler chamber, whereby the magnitude of the discharge pulse carried by the discharge fluid is further attenuated.
The present invention also provides a compressor assembly including a compression mechanism and a discharge muffler chamber having a substantially hemispherical inner surface and a central axis. First and second conduits are in fluid communication through the discharge muffler chamber, the openings of the first and second conduits within said discharge muffler chamber are directed substantially towards the central axis and oriented at approximately a right angle relative to each other therealong. A discharge fluid flow is received in the discharge muffler chamber from the compression mechanism via the first conduit. The discharge fluid flow contains pressure pulses of a first magnitude. The discharge fluid flow is exhausted from the discharge muffler chamber via the second conduit, the discharge fluid flow exhausted from the discharge muffler chamber containing pressure pulses of a second magnitude less than the first magnitude.
The position of the inlet and outlet conduits in the discharge muffler chamber(s) of the inventive discharge muffler arrangement provides substantially greater attenuation of pressure pulsations and sound vis-a-vis a prior art discharge muffler arrangement comprising muffler chamber(s) of like volume.
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Collings Douglas A.
DiFlora Michael A.
Dreiman Nelik I.
Baker & Daniels
Patel Vinod D.
Tecumseh Products Company
Walberg Teresa
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