Air conditioning compressor sound attenuation
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorsDerek Brasuell, Paul McKim, Rick Robbins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming a sound attenuator around a compressor of an air conditioning system includes covering the compressor with a flexible protective cover and depositing a plurality of materials proximate an outer surface of the flexible protective cover such that at least some of the plurality of materials can chemically react to create a self-forming foam that abuts at least some of the flexible protective cover to thereby create the sound-attenuating structure around the compressor.
Claims13
A method for forming a sound-attenuating structure around a compressor, the method comprising:
- covering the compressor with a flexible protective cover such that at least some of an inner surface of the flexible protective cover abuts the compressor;
- depositing a plurality of materials proximate an outer surface of the flexible protective cover, at least some of the plurality of materials being configured to chemically react to create a self-forming foam that abuts at least some of the flexible protective cover to thereby create the sound-attenuating structure around the compressor, wherein the plurality of materials are deposited in a first compartment formed by the flexible protective cover and a second compartment formed by the flexible protective cover, such that two discrete portions of self-forming foam are created on the outer surface of the flexible protective cover instead of the inner surface of the flexible protective cover, wherein the flexible protective cover extends outward with respect to the compressor to form the first compartment and second compartment;
- and
- forming, after the self-forming foam is created, an aperture in the self-forming foam to access a port of the compressor.
A compressor assembly, the compressor assembly comprising:
- a compressor;
- and
- a sound-attenuating structure configured to attenuate a sound produced by the compressor, the sound-attenuating structure comprising:
- a flexible protective cover covering the compressor;
- and
- a self-forming foam formed around the compressor, the self-forming foam being formed by chemical reaction of a plurality of materials placed around an outside of the flexible protective cover, the plurality of materials substantially surrounding the flexible protective cover, the plurality of materials being configured to chemically react to form the self-forming foam,
- wherein the flexible protective cover separates the self-forming foam from the compressor, and
- wherein the plurality of materials are deposited in a first compartment formed by the flexible protective cover and a second compartment formed by the flexible protective cover, such that two discrete portions of self-forming foam are formed on an outer surface of the flexible protective cover instead of an inner surface of the flexible protective cover, wherein the flexible protective cover extends outward with respect to the compressor to form the first compartment and second compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.