REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR PROVIDED WITH A SOUND DAMPER FOR AN AIR CONDTIONING UNIT

1 . A muffler comprising:

a partition wall disposed in a casing to reflect fluid pressure waves, and thereby minimize fluid pressure pulsations, wherein the casing includes an inlet having an inlet channel and an inlet chamber in fluid communication with an outlet having an outlet channel and an outlet chamber; and

at least two apertures formed in the partition wall.

2 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall is disposed in at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel.

3 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall has a generally arcuate cross-sectional shape.

4 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein the apertures are formed substantially orthogonal to a flow of a fluid through at least one of the inlet and the outlet.

5 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein the apertures are equidistant from each other.

6 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall and associated apertures facilitate an interchange of hydrodynamic and hydrostatic pressure proportions of a total fluid pressure.

7 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein a sum of cross-sectional areas of the apertures is less than a cross-sectional area of at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel.

8 . The muffler according to claim 7 , wherein the sum of cross-sectional areas of the apertures is in the range of 0.3 to 0.7 of the cross-sectional area of at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel.

9 . The muffler according to claim 7 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the apertures is dependent on a disposition of the partition wall in the casing, whereby the apertures disposed in a longer fluid flow path are formed having a larger cross-sectional area to compensate for a fluid pressure loss.

10 . The muffler according to claim 7 , wherein a fluid pressure pulsation attenuation is dependent on the cross-sectional area of the apertures, whereby the fluid pressure pulsation attenuation increases as the cross-sectional area of the apertures decreases.

11 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall includes five apertures having a circular diameter of 3 mm.

12 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall is formed as an integral part of the casing.

13 . The muffler according to claim 1 , wherein the muffler is disposed in a refrigerant compressor.

14 . A muffler assembly comprising:

a casing having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet, wherein the inlet includes an inlet channel and an inlet chamber and the outlet includes an outlet channel and an outlet chamber; and

a partition wall having a generally arcuate cross-sectional shape integrally formed with the casing in at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel to reflect fluid pressure waves and thereby minimize fluid pressure pulsations, the partition wall having a plurality of apertures formed therein substantially orthogonal to a flow of a fluid through at least one of the inlet and the outlet and substantially equidistant from each other to facilitate an interchange of hydrodynamic and hydrostatic pressure proportions of a total fluid pressure, wherein a sum of cross-sectional areas of the apertures is less than a cross-sectional area of the at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel and dependent on a disposition of the partition wall in the casing, whereby the apertures disposed in a longer fluid flow path are formed having a larger cross-sectional area to compensate for a fluid pressure loss, and wherein the minimized fluid pressure pulsation is dependent on the cross-sectional area of the apertures, whereby a fluid pressure pulsation attenuation increases as the cross-sectional area of the apertures decreases.

15 . The muffler assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the sum of cross-sectional areas of the apertures is in the range of 0.3 to 0.7 of the cross-sectional area of the at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel.

16 . The muffler assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the partition wall includes five apertures having a circular diameter of 3 mm.

17 . The muffler assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the muffler is disposed in a refrigerant compressor.

18 . A compressor comprising:

a casing having a swash plate rotatably supported therein for driving a plurality of axially moving pistons disposed in a plurality of cylinders;

an inlet including an inlet channel and an inlet chamber formed in the casing,

an outlet including an outlet channel and an outlet chamber formed in the casing in fluid communication with the inlet; and

a muffler disposed in at least one of the inlet and the outlet, the muffler including a partition wall having a generally arcuate cross-sectional shape integrally formed with the casing in at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel to reflect fluid pressure waves and thereby minimize fluid pressure pulsation, the partition wall having a plurality of apertures formed therein substantially orthogonal to a flow of a fluid through at least one of the inlet and the outlet and substantially equidistant from each other to facilitate an interchange of hydrodynamic and hydrostatic pressure proportions of a total fluid pressure, wherein a sum of cross-sectional areas of the apertures is less than a cross-sectional area of the at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel and dependent on a disposition of the partition wall in the casing, whereby the apertures disposed in a longer fluid flow path are formed having a larger cross-sectional area to compensate for a fluid pressure loss, and wherein the minimized fluid pressure pulsation is dependent on the cross-sectional area of the apertures, whereby a fluid pressure pulsation attenuation increases as the cross-sectional area of the apertures decreases.

19 . The compressor according to claim 18 , wherein the sum of cross-sectional areas of the apertures is in the range of 0.3 to 0.7 of the cross-sectional area of the at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel.

20 . The compressor according to claim 18 , wherein the partition wall includes five apertures having a circular diameter of 3 mm.