Compressor assembly with liquid sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9784274-B2
Application number	US-201615153922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A compressor may include a shell, a compression mechanism, first and second temperature sensors, and a control module. The shell may define a lubricant sump. The compression mechanism may be disposed within the shell and may be operable to compress a working fluid. The first temperature sensor may be at least partially disposed within the shell at a first position. The second temperature sensor may be at least partially disposed within the shell at a second position that is vertically higher than the first position. The control module may be in communication with the first and second temperature sensors and the pressure sensor and may determine whether a liquid level in the lubricant sump is below a predetermined level based on data received from the first and second temperature sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressor comprising:
a shell defining a chamber;
a compression mechanism disposed within the chamber and operable to compress a working fluid; and
a sensor assembly disposed within the chamber and including a sensor and a casing, the casing defining a plurality of openings and a cavity, the sensor is disposed within the cavity, one of the openings provides fluid communication between the chamber and the cavity and extends through a first exterior surface of the casing, another of the openings provides fluid communication between the chamber and the cavity and extends through a second exterior surface of the casing,
wherein the casing includes a baffle defining the cavity and partially shielding the cavity from one of the openings,
wherein the casing includes a fluid passageway in communication with the cavity and one of the openings, and wherein the sensor is disposed between the baffle and the fluid passageway,
wherein the casing includes a first casing body and a second casing body that releasably engage each other, and wherein the fluid passageway is formed in the first casing body, and the baffle is a part of the second casing body, and
wherein the first casing body includes an inclined surface that separates the fluid passageway from the cavity.

2. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the inclined surface is angled relative to the baffle.

3. The compressor of claim 2 , wherein one or both of the first and second casing bodies includes support tabs that extend into the cavity and support the sensor within the cavity.

4. The compressor of claim 3 , wherein the support tabs position the sensor at an angle relative to the baffle.

5. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the openings are misaligned with each other.

6. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the casing includes slots that receive portions of the sensor, the slots extend longitudinally in a direction that is angled relative to one or both of the first and second openings.

7. A compressor comprising:
a shell defining a chamber;
a compression mechanism disposed within the chamber and operable to compress a working fluid; and
a sensor assembly disposed within the chamber and including a sensor disposed within a casing, the casing including a first casing body and a second casing body that releasably engages the first casing body, the first casing body including a first recess and a first fluid passageway, the second casing including a second recess and a second fluid passageway, the first and second recesses cooperating to form a cavity in which the sensor is disposed, the first fluid passageway is in fluid communication with the cavity via a first opening and is in fluid communication with the chamber via a second opening, the first and second openings are misaligned with each other, the cavity is in fluid communication with the second fluid passageway, the second fluid passageway is in fluid communication with the chamber via a third opening,
wherein the second opening extends through an exterior surface of the first casing body,
wherein the third opening extends through an exterior surface of the second casing body,
wherein the first opening extends through only interior surfaces of the first casing body, and
wherein the second casing body includes a baffle that defines the second fluid passageway and partially shields the cavity from the second fluid passageway.

8. The compressor of claim 7 , wherein the first casing body includes an inclined surface that separates the first fluid passageway from the cavity, the first opening extends through the inclined surface.

9. The compressor of claim 8 , wherein the inclined surface is angled relative to the baffle.

10. The compressor of claim 9 , wherein one or both of the first and second casing bodies includes support tabs that extend into the cavity and support the sensor within the cavity.

11. The compressor of claim 10 , wherein the support tabs position the sensor at an angle relative to the baffle.

12. The compressor of claim 7 , wherein one of the first and second casing bodies includes slots, and another of the first and second casing bodies includes resiliently flexible fingers that snap into the slots to releasably secure the first and second casing bodies to each other.

13. The compressor of claim 7 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

14. A compressor comprising:
a shell defining a chamber;
a compression mechanism disposed within the chamber and operable to compress a working fluid; and
a sensor assembly disposed within the chamber and including a sensor disposed within a casing, the casing including a first casing body and a second casing body that releasably engages the first casing body, the first and second casing bodies cooperating to form a cavity in which the sensor is disposed, the first casing body including a first opening in fluid communication with the cavity, the first casing body including a second opening in fluid communication with the chamber and the first opening via a fluid passageway defined by the first casing body, the second casing body including a third opening in fluid communication with the chamber and the cavity,
wherein the first opening extends through only interior surfaces of the first casing body,
wherein the second opening extends through an exterior surface of the first casing body, and
wherein the third opening extends through an exterior surface of the second casing body.

15. The compressor of claim 14 , wherein the second casing body includes a baffle that defines the second fluid passageway and partially shields the cavity from the second fluid passageway.

16. The compressor of claim 15 , wherein the first casing body includes an inclined surface that separates the first fluid passageway from the cavity, the first opening extends through the inclined surface.

17. The compressor of claim 16 , wherein the inclined surface is angled relative to the baffle.

18. The compressor of claim 17 , wherein one or both of the first and second casing bodies includes support tabs that extend into the cavity and support the sensor within the cavity.

19. The compressor of claim 18 , wherein the support tabs position the sensor at an angle relative to the baffle.

20. The compressor of claim 14 , wherein one of the first and second casing bodies includes slots, and another of the first and second casing bodies includes resiliently flexible fingers that snap into the slots to releasably secure the first and second casing bodies to each other.

21. The compressor of claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

Assignees

• Emerson Climate Technologies

Inventors

• Brostrom Troy R
• HISZEM Mark
• Miu Richard A
• Warner Jason M

Classifications

• F04B39/02 Primary

  Lubrication (of machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F04B51/00

  Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations · CPC title

• F04C18/107

  with helical teeth · CPC title

• G01L19/00

  Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for measuring steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluent medium insofar as such details or accessories are not special to particular types of pressure gauges · CPC title

• F04C2240/809

  Lubricant sump · CPC title