Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Sealing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2001-08-14
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Sealing
C439S935000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273754
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to terminal assemblies for hermetic compressors, and means for preventing electrical arcing thereacross.
The terminal assembly of a hermetic compressor includes a plurality of conductor pins which extend through apertures located in a terminal body. The conductor pins are secured within these apertures by a glass insulator which electrically isolates the pins from the terminal body and the wall of the compressor housing through which the terminal body extends. The interior ends of the conductor pins are connected to lead wires running to the stator of the motor disposed within the compressor housing. The exterior ends of the conductor pins are selectively electrically connected, as through a switch device, to a source of electrical power.
During compressor operation, carbon or conductive deposits from the motor may collect on the interior surfaces of the housing and terminal assembly. These deposits may provide a conductive path between elements at differing electrical potentials, and a short circuit or arc may develop along that path. Such arcing results in resistive heating of the deposits along the conductive path, which heats the elements on which the deposits collect. Such heating is known to sometimes cause the fused glass insulators about the conductor pins to melt, thereby causing the compressor housing to leak pressurized gas at the terminal assembly.
Previous compressors including means for preventing the melting of the glass insulators have provided the insulators with an cover or coating which prevents the deposits from forming directly on the fused glass insulator. These means may include a plastic wafer or disk which is disposed over the interior of the terminal body to shield the fused glass insulator from the rest of the housing interior, the pins projecting through the wafer, their interior ends attached to the motor lead wires. Other means include coating the fused glass insulator with an epoxy, the coating extending from the conductor pins to the terminal body; the interior ends of the pins, however, remain uncoated to facilitate connection to the motor lead wires. Although these means may prevent carbon or conductive deposits from forming directly on the fused glass insulator, they do not prevent arcing between the interior ends of the conductor pins and the interior of the compressor housing. Further, resistive heating may melt the wafer or coating, the fused glass insulator melted by arcing across deposits later deposited directly on the formerly covered insulator.
It is desired to provide a means for preventing arcing across the interior of the terminal body altogether, thereby assuring the fused glass insulator will remain intact and a leak through the terminal body will not develop.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an insulative, protective covering is provided which extends between the terminal body and the jackets of the lead wires. The exposed conducting material of the lead wire, the lead wire/conductor pin connection, the fused glass insulator and at least a portion of the terminal body, are completely covered by the covering, which also extends over at least a portion of the lead wire jacket. Thus, there is no opportunity for carbon or conductive deposits to form a conductive path between metal components having different electrical potentials, and arcing is altogether prevented.
The present invention provides a hermetic compressor assembly including a housing, an electric motor and a compression mechanism, the motor and compression mechanism disposed in the housing and operatively coupled together. The compressor assembly also includes a terminal assembly having a terminal body which extends through and is sealingly attached to the housing, at least one elongate conductor pin having interior and exterior ends, the interior pin end located inside the housing, the exterior pin end located outside the housing, and an insulator disposed between the pin and the terminal body, whereby the pin is electrically insulated from the terminal body by the insulator. A lead wire having an insulative jacket extends between the motor and the interior pin end, and has an electrical connection to the pin, the motor and the pin electrically connected by the lead wire. An insulative covering extends between the terminal body and the lead wire jacket, and covers at least a portion of the terminal body, the insulator, the electrical connection between the lead wire and the pin, and at least a portion of the lead wire jacket.
The present invention further provides a hermetic compressor assembly including a housing, an electric motor and a compression mechanism, the motor and compression mechanism disposed in the housing and operatively coupled together. The compressor assembly also includes a terminal assembly having a terminal body which extends through and is sealingly attached to the housing, at least one elongate conductor pin having interior and exterior ends, the interior pin end located inside the housing, the exterior pin end located outside the housing, and an insulator disposed between the pin and the terminal body, whereby the pin is electrically insulated from the terminal body by the insulator. A jacketed lead wire extends between the motor and the interior pin end, and has an electrical connection to the pin, the motor and the pin electrically connected by the lead wire. The compressor assembly also includes means for continuously covering at least a portion of the lead wire jacket, the electrical connection between the lead wire and the pin, the insulator and at least a portion of the terminal body.
The present invention also provides a hermetic compressor assembly including a housing, a motor including a rotor and a stator disposed in the housing, at least one jacketed lead wire electrically connected to the stator, and a compression mechanism disposed in the housing and operatively coupled to the rotor. The compressor assembly also includes a terminal assembly having a terminal body which extends through and is sealingly attached to the housing, at least one elongate conductor pin extending through the terminal body, and an insulator disposed between the pin and the terminal body, there being an electrical connection between the lead wire and the conductor pin. The compressor assembly also includes means for insulatively covering the electrical connection, the conductor pin and the insulator.
The present invention also provides a method of applying an insulative covering over the electrical connection between the terminal assembly and the motor of a hermetic compressor, comprising the steps of: providing a terminal assembly comprising a body, at least one conductor pin extending through the body, and an insulator disposed between the body and the pin, at least one jacketed lead wire, and an insulative covering material; establishing an electrical connection between the lead wire and the conductor pin; and applying the insulative covering material over at least a portion of the terminal body, the insulator, a portion of the conductor pin, the electrical connection between the lead wire and the pin, and at least a portion of the lead wire jacket.
In accordance with the present invention, in certain embodiments thereof the insulative covering may be in the form of a sleeve made of insulative material, and which may be a molded boot. Alternatively, the insulative covering may be molded-in-place of insulative material.
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pat
Bunch Rick L.
Miller Austin S.
Baker & Daniels
Patel Tulsidas
Peschel Charles
Tecumseh Products Company
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