Thermal protector mounting structure for hermetic refrigeration compressors

A thermal protector mounting structure for a hermetic refrigeration compressor having a housing in which an electric motor, a compressing means and a volume of refrigerant gas are provided, the compressor housing having at least one through hole formed therein, the thermal protector mounting structure comprising:

• an airtight terminal assembly secured in the through hole formed in the compressor housing so that the through hole is airtightly closed by the terminal assembly, the terminal assembly including a metal base and a plurality of electrically conductive terminal pins secured to the metal base by an electrically insulative material with small thermal conductivity;
• a thermal protector comprising a hermetic metal casing having a withstanding pressure required in the compressor housing, a thermally responsive element disposed in the casing to be approximately parallel to an inner wall of the casing and to be in direct contact with the inner wall so that the thermally responsive element is responsive with a snap action, only to heat transferred thereto from the inner wall of the casing, and a switching element disposed in the casing to be responsive to a thermal deformation of the thermally responsive element;
• and
• wherein the thermal protector is mounted inside the compressor housing to a plurality of connection terminals connected to respective ends of the terminal pins so that the casing thereof is exposed to the refrigerant in the compressor housing, a part of the refrigerant being in contact with the compressing means.