Accumulator for compressor and compressor with accumulator

Abstract

An accumulator for a compressor and a compressor having an accumulator are disclosed. The accumulator may include a case configured to be disposed at an outside of a shell of a compressor and defining a refrigerant accommodating space, a refrigerant connection pipe having a first end that communicates with an outlet side of an evaporator and a second end that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space of the case, and a refrigerant suction pipe having a first end that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space of the case and a second end that communicates with a suction side of the compressor. The refrigerant suction pipe may be fixed to a lower surface and an upper surface of the case defining the refrigerant accommodating space. Therefore, the refrigerant suction pipe may be fixed to the case of the accumulator without a separate pipe holder, thereby attenuating vibration of the accumulator and reducing manufacturing costs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An accumulator for a compressor, the accumulator comprising:
 a case configured to be disposed at an outside of a shell of the compressor and defining a refrigerant accommodating space;   a refrigerant connection pipe having a first end that extends to an outside of the refrigerant accommodating space and a second end that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space; and   a refrigerant suction pipe having a first end that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space of the case and a second end that communicates with a suction side of the compressor, wherein the refrigerant suction pipe is fixed to both of a lower surface and an upper surface of the case defining the refrigerant accommodating space.   
     
     
         2 . The accumulator of  claim 1 , wherein a pipe fixing portion is disposed at the upper surface of the case to fix the first end of the refrigerant suction pipe to the upper surface of the case. 
     
     
         3 . The accumulator of  claim 2 , wherein the pipe fixing portion is recessed in a direction away from the refrigerant accommodating space in a longitudinal direction of the case, such that the first end of the refrigerant suction pipe is inserted therein. 
     
     
         4 . The accumulator of  claim 2 , wherein the pipe fixing portion protrudes toward the refrigerant accommodating space in a longitudinal direction of the case to be inserted into the first end of the refrigerant suction pipe. 
     
     
         5 . The accumulator of  claim 2 , wherein the pipe fixing portion is comprises a pipe hole formed through the case in a longitudinal direction of the case, such that the refrigerant suction pipe is fixedly inserted through the case. 
     
     
         6 . The accumulator of  claim 2 , wherein the pipe fixing portion is disposed on an axial center line of the case. 
     
     
         7 . The accumulator of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the refrigerant suction pipe overlaps the refrigerant connection pipe in a longitudinal direction of the case. 
     
     
         8 . The accumulator of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant suction pipe is disposed on an axial center line of the case and the refrigerant connection pipe is eccentrically disposed with respect to the axial center of the case. 
     
     
         9 . The accumulator of  claim 8 , wherein the refrigerant connection pipe is disposed to be more adjacent to an axial center of the compressor than the refrigerant suction pipe. 
     
     
         10 . The accumulator of  claim 1 , wherein the second end of the refrigerant connection pipe is open toward the refrigerant accommodating space, wherein the refrigerant suction pipe comprises at least one refrigerant through-hole that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space, and wherein the refrigerant through-hole is located at a position higher than or equal to a position of the second end of the refrigerant connection pipe in a longitudinal direction of the case. 
     
     
         11 . The accumulator of  claim 10 , wherein the refrigerant through-hole is open in a direction in which the refrigerant suction pipe faces the refrigerant connection pipe. 
     
     
         12 . The accumulator of  claim 1 , wherein a screen that filters foreign substances introduced into the refrigerant accommodating space is coupled to the second end of the refrigerant connection pipe. 
     
     
         13 . The accumulator of  claim 12 , wherein the screen comprises a mesh screen disposed at or inserted into an end portion of the second end of the refrigerant connection pipe, and wherein the refrigerant connection pipe comprises a screen support to support the screen. 
     
     
         14 . The accumulator of  claim 12 , wherein the refrigerant connection pipe comprises:
 a first guide portion that extends along a longitudinal direction of the case in the refrigerant accommodating space; and   a second guide portion bent from the first guide portion and that extends in a first direction or the first and a second direction, and wherein the screen is inserted into the first guide portion and supported at a position at which the second guide portion is bent from the first guide portion.   
     
     
         15 . The accumulator of  claim 1 , wherein the case comprises:
 a body having a covered lower end and an open upper end, the refrigerant suction pipe coupled through the lower end; and   an upper cap that covers the upper end of the body, wherein the refrigerant connection pipe is inserted through the upper cap, and wherein the upper cap comprises a pipe fixing portion into which the first end of the refrigerant suction pipe is fixedly inserted, and a through-hole formed at one side of the pipe fixing portion such that the refrigerant connection pipe is coupled therethrough.   
     
     
         16 . The accumulator of  claim 15 , wherein the pipe fixing portion is formed at a center of the upper cap and the through-hole is eccentric from the center of the upper cap toward an axial center of the compressor. 
     
     
         17 . The accumulator of  claim 16 , wherein the pipe fixing portion is recessed from an inner surface of the upper cap defining the refrigerant accommodating space toward an outer surface of the upper cap, and the first end of the refrigerant suction pipe is fixedly inserted into the pipe fixing portion. 
     
     
         18 . The accumulator of  claim 15 , wherein the through-hole is formed at a center of the upper cap and the pipe fixing portion is eccentric with respect to the center of the upper cap in a direction toward or away from an axial center of the compressor. 
     
     
         19 . The accumulator of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant suction pipe comprises:
 a refrigerant passage pipe portion accommodated in the refrigerant accommodating space of the case; and   a refrigerant suction pipe portion having a first end that communicates with the refrigerant passage pipe portion and a second end that communicates with the suction side of the compressor, and wherein both longitudinal ends of the refrigerant passage pipe portion are fixed to both longitudinal sides of the case, respectively.   
     
     
         20 . A compressor comprising the accumulator of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         21 . A compressor, comprising:
 a shell having a sealed inner space;   a motor unit disposed in the inner space of the shell;   a compression unit disposed in the inner space of the shell and driven by the motor unit to compress refrigerant and discharge the compressed refrigerant into the inner space of the shell; and   an accumulator disposed at an outside of the shell, supported by the shell, and connected to the compression unit through the shell, wherein the accumulator includes:
 a case disposed at the outside of the shell of the compressor and defining a refrigerant accommodating space; 
 a refrigerant connection pipe having a first end that extends to an outside of the refrigerant accommodating space and a second end that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space; and 
 a refrigerant suction pipe having a first end that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space of the case and a second end that communicates with a suction side of the compressor, wherein the refrigerant suction pipe is fixed to both of a lower surface and an upper surface of the case defining the refrigerant accommodating space. 
   
     
     
         22 . An accumulator for a compressor, the accumulator comprising:
 a case configured to be disposed at an outside of a shell of the compressor and defining a refrigerant accommodating space;   a refrigerant connection pipe having a first end that extends to an outside of the refrigerant accommodating space and a second end that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space; and   a refrigerant suction pipe having a first end that communicates with the refrigerant accommodating space of the case and a second end that communicates with a suction side of the compressor, wherein the refrigerant suction pipe is fixed to both of a lower surface and an upper surface of the case defining the refrigerant accommodating space, and wherein the refrigerant suction pipe is disposed on an axial center line of the case and the refrigerant connection pipe is eccentrically disposed with respect to the axial center of the case toward the compressor.   
     
     
         23 . A compressor comprising the accumulator of  claim 21 .