Combination sight glass and sump oil level sensor for a hermetic compressor

A hermetic compressor comprising:

• a housing;
• a motor connected to a controller and having a rotor and a stator, said controller connected to a power source;
• a compressor mechanism drivingly connected to said rotor;
• an oil sump disposed in said housing;
• and
• a combination oil level sensor and viewing device mounted on said housing adjacent said oil sump and comprising:
• a sight glass hermetically attached to said housing and adapted to permit visual inspection of said oil sump, whereby the level of oil contained in said oil sump may be observed;
• and
• an optical sensor removably attached to said sight glass and electrically connected to said controller, said optical sensor adapted to sense the level of oil in said oil sump and including a housing;
• a light source, a photosensitive detector, and a blocking mechanism disposed in said housing, said blocking mechanism including a blocking member having a first position and a second position within said sensor housing, said first position disposed between said light source and said detector preventing optical cross coupling when said optical sensor is attached to said sight glass, said blocking member biased to said second position disposed away from said light source and said detector allowing cross coupling when said optical sensor is removed from said sight glass, whereby said optical sensor provides a low oil level signal to said controller when said optical sensor is removed from said sight glass.

A hermetic compressor comprising:

• a housing;
• a motor connected to a controller and having a rotor and a stator, said controller connected to a power source;
• a compressor mechanism drivingly connected to said rotor;
• an oil sump disposed in said housing;
• and
• a combination oil level sensor and viewing device mounted on said housing adjacent said oil sump and comprising:
• a sight glass hermetically attached to said housing and adapted to permit optical viewing of said oil sump, whereby the level of oil contained in said oil sump may be observed;
• and
• an optical sensor removably attached to said sight glass and electrically connected to said controller, said optical sensor adapted to sense the level of oil in said oil sump and including a housing;
• a light source, a photosensitive detector, an opaque member, and at least one spring disposed in said housing, said opaque member including a pair of bores to receive said light source and said detector and having a first position and a second position, said spring biasing said opaque member into said second position, said light source and said detector disposed within said opaque member in said first position and disposed outside opaque member in said second position, said sight glass maintains said blocking member in said first position with said optical sensor attached to said sight glass, whereby said optical sensor provides low oil level signal to said controller when said optical sensor is removed from said sight glass.