Hermetic compressor including a terminal block and thermal protection retainer means

Claim 1

A hermetic compressor including a casing having a side wall, a lower wall, and an upper wall provided with an opening and a vertically extending stud member secured to said upper wall; an electric terminal disposed in said opening; conductor pins arranged in said terminal including end portions projecting outwardly from said casing; a terminal receptacle block assembly having female terminals removably receiving said end portion of said conductor pins; a thermal overload protector including a base wall located on said casing upper wall and having an upper wall with a central depression; a retainer arrangement removably securing said terminal receptacle block relative to said electric terminal and said thermal overload protector relative to said casing upper wall comprising: an arcuate resilient retainer means formed of stiffly flexible metal stock, the apex of said arcuate retainer means including an elongated central opening removably receiving said stud member, leg portions diverging downwardly and outwardly from said apex, a downward projection on the end portion of one of said leg portions removably engaging said depression on said upper wall of said thermal overload protector, a holding area on the end portion of the other of said leg portions removably engaging the upper end of said terminal receptacle block; a post member threadably engaging said stud member including an enlargement which removably applies pressure on said apex of said retainer to cause its said end portions of said leg portions to forceably engage said terminal block and said thermal overload protector to removably secure said terminal receptacle block assembly relative to said conductor pins and removably securing said thermal overload protector relative to said compressor upper wall.