IP Library Granted Patent US 8,226,372
Granted Patent B2
US 8,226,372 · App. 10/515,196 · Granted Jul 24, 2012

Electric compressor

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,226,372
App. No.
10/515,196
Granted
Jul 24, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A compressor includes a motor driven by a controller and having a rotor and a stator, a compressing unit driven by the motor in a hermetic container in which refrigerant is filled. Driving the motor at a low rpm, the controller practices a feedback control which determines a timing of turning on/off switching elements based on a signal detecting a position of the rotor, and when the motor is driven at a high rpm, the controller practices an open-loop control which outputs a given frequency and drives the motor synchronizing with the given frequency. This structure achieves a compressor working with a fewer noises in PWM driving.

Claims (13)

1. An electric compressor comprising:

a hermetic container in which refrigerant is filled;

a motor having a stator and a rotor equipped with a permanent magnet, accommodated in the hermetic container;

a position detection device for detecting a position of the rotor and outputting a rotor position detection signal;

a controller for driving the motor; and

a compressing unit accommodated in the hermetic container and driven by the motor,

wherein the controller controls the motor with a feedback control, which determines a timing of turning on/off switching elements based on the rotor position detection signal, when the motor is driven a low rpm, and

wherein the controller controls the motor at a 100% duty with an open-loop control, which outputs a given frequency and drives the motor synchronously with the given frequency, such that the motor operates as a synchronous motor independently of the rotor position detection signal, when the motor is driven at a high rpm.

2. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a three-phase motor, and the controller energizes each one of the three phases of the motor at an electric angle ranging from not less than 130° to less than 180°.

3. The compressor of claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the stator includes teeth wound by windings in a concentrated manner.

4. The compressor of claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the permanent magnet is buried in an iron core which forms the rotor.

5. The compressor of claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the compressing unit includes a cylinder forming a compressing chamber, a piston reciprocating in the compressing chamber, a crankshaft having a main shaft and an eccentric shaft, and a connecting means coupling the piston to the eccentric shaft.

6. The compressor of claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the refrigerant is R600a.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2018
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC APPLIANCES REFRIGERATION DEVICES SINGAPORE
Reel/Frame 047473/0470 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 27, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021738/0878 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR NAME WRONG RECORDED NAME IS: IIZUKI, TATSUYUKI CORRECT NAME SHOULD BE: IIZUKA, TATSUYUKI PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 017123 FRAME 0306. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SEE INVENTOR (6) ON SIGNATURE PAGE OF ORGINAL ASSIGNMENT DOCUMENT. Recorded May 22, 2006
From: HAMAOKA, KOJI; ENDO, KATSUMI; KATAYAMA, MAKOTO; YAKUSHI, SHUICHI; SAIKI, YUJI; TANAKA, HIDEHISA; OUCHIYAMA, TOMONORI; NISHIHARA, HIDETOSHI; IIZUKA, TATSUYUKI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 017655/0185 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2004
From: HAMAOKA, KOJI; NISHIHARA, HIDETOSHI; ENDO, KATSUMI; KATAYAMA, MAKOTO; YAKUSHI, SHUICHI; IIZUKI, TATSUYUKI; SAIKI, YUJI; TANAKA, HIDEHISA; OUCHIYAMA, TOMONORI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 017123/0306 →