Protected refrigerator compressor motor systems and motor protectors therefor

A refrigerator compressor motor system comprising an electrical motor and a refrigerator compressor operated by the motor hermetically sealed within a shell having three lead-through pins extending in sealed electrically insulated relation to each other and to the shell through the shell for electrically connecting the motor in an electrical circuit, motor protector means mounted on one of said lead-through pins with selected thermal coupling to the motor through said pin, and motor starting means mounted on said other two pins for starting the motor, characterized in that the motor protector comprises a housing, current and temperature responsive switch means in the housing, a terminal for connecting the switch means in a power circuit, and a resilient, pin-receiving female clip terminal adapted to be pushed onto the one pin in pin-gripping relation thereto for thermally and electrically connecting the switch means to the motor, the pin-receiving female terminal has an opening for axially receiving the one pin and is disposed on one side of the protector housing with the axis of the opening extending in a direction from the bottom to the top of the housing, the housing is formed of a thermally and electrically insulating material, and hold-down, locating, tab means of the housing material extend in a plane normal to said one side of the housing from said one side of the housing at the housing bottom to slidably engage each of the other two pins for locating the housing in a precisely predetermined position relative to the pins, the tab means being relatively thin for permitting motor starting means on the other two pins to be accommodated over the tab means for retaining the protector in its selected location, the tab means comprise a pair of tabs extending from the housing adjacent opposite ends of the housing to respectively engage said two pins for preventing rotation of the protector on said one pin, the female clip terminal is arranged for disposing the protector housing at the side of said one pin facing away from said two pins to be thermally isolated from motor starter means mounted on said two pins, the pair of tabs have respective grooves at the distal ends thereof disposed in facing relation to each other facing generally away from the housing slidably engaging said two pieces for guiding the female clip terminal into pin-gripping relation to said one pin, the protector having a first terminal extending from one end of said housing and having an exterior terminal electrically connected to said one terminal extending along the protector housing to support said female clip terminal intermediate opposite ends of the housing for supporting the protector on said one pin, and having ridge means formed on said housing extending along sides of said exterior terminal for positioning, supporting and thermally isolating the exterior terminal on the housing and the motor starting means is mounted on said two pins over said tab means for securing the protector on said one pin.