Pumps – Expansible chamber type – Having pumping chamber pressure responsive distributor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-10-09
Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Expansible chamber type
Having pumping chamber pressure responsive distributor
C417S557000, C417S562000, C417S417000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299421
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oil supply apparatus of a linear compressor, and more particularly, to an oil supply apparatus of a linear compressor in which only one valve is used to suck and discharge oil, thereby reducing the number of parts and facilitating assembling of the valve.
2. Description of the Background Art
As is known, a linear compressor is an equipment for compressing a coolant by directly reciprocating a piston by means of a magnet and a coil instead of a crank shaft.
FIG. 1
shows a linear compressor in accordance with a conventional art. As shown in the drawing, the linear compressor includes a compression unit C installed in a horizontal direction inside a casing V filled with oil at its bottom, for sucking, compressing and discharging, and a oil feeder
0
fixedly combined at the outside of the compression unit C, to provide oil to each contact sliding portion (sliding portion) of elements.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the oil feeder O includes a oil cylinder
21
attached onto the bottom surface of the compression unit C, a oil piston
22
inserted in the oil cylinder
21
and dividing the inner space of the oil cylinder into a suction space and a discharge space; a first and a second oil springs
23
a
and
23
b
positioned at both ends of the oil piston
22
to elastically support the oil piston
22
; a oil suction valve
24
contacted to an oil outlet of the oil piston
22
and supported by the second oil spring
23
b
; and a oil discharge valve
25
installed at a oil outlet of the oil cylinder
21
.
In detail, the oil suction valve
24
is inserted inside the oil cylinder
21
, and compressively supported by the second oil spring
23
b
at the end portion of the oil outlet of the oil piston, so as to selectively open and close an oil flow path
22
a
of the oil piston
22
.
The oil piston
22
is inserted in the oil cylinder
21
in a manner that its outer surface slidably contact the inner surface of the oil cylinder
21
, in which the oil flow path
22
a
is formed in a lengthy direction to communicate the inlet and the outlet of the oil cylinder
21
.
Reference numerals
1
denotes a frame,
1
a
denotes an oil inflow path,
1
b
denotes a first oil pocket,
1
d
denotes a oil circulation path,
1
e
denotes an oil discharge hole,
3
denotes a cylinder,
3
a
denotes an oil opening,
4
denotes an inside/outside lamination assembly,
5
denotes a magnet assembly,
6
denotes a piston,
7
denotes a suction valve,
9
denotes a suction pipe,
11
denotes a discharge cover,
12
denotes a discharge valve,
13
denotes a valve spring,
26
denotes a suction cover,
27
denotes a discharge cover, S
1
denotes a suction space, and S
2
denotes a discharge space.
Operation of the oil supply apparatus of the linear compressor constructed as described above in accordance with the conventional art will now be explained.
When the compression unit C is oscillated along with a magnetic assembly
5
in a horizontal direction by a linear reciprocal movement of the magnetic assembly
5
, that is, an rotor of a linear motor, the oscillation is transferred to the oil cylinder
21
fixed at the compression unit C, so that the oil cylinder
21
is reciprocally moved.
In this respect, since the oil piston
22
is slidably inserted in the oil cylinder
21
, oil is sucked and discharged by the inertial force resulted from the reciprocal movement of the oil cylinder
21
.
That is, when the oil cylinder
21
is moved in the ‘P’ direction as shown in
FIG. 3A
, the oil piston
22
overcomes the elasticity of the second oil spring
23
b
and is moved in the ‘Q’ direction to thereby push the oil charged in the discharge space S
2
in the ‘Q’ direction, while oil flows in to be charged in the suction space S
1
between the oil piston
22
and the oil suction cover
26
.
At this time, the oil suction valve
24
is closed, closing the oil flow path
22
a
of the oil piston
22
, while the oil discharge valve
27
is pulled back in the ‘Q’ direction to thereby open the discharge side of the oil cylinder
21
.
Reversely, in case that the oil cylinder
21
is moved in the ‘Q’ direction in
FIG. 3B
, the oil piston
22
overcomes the first oil spring
23
a
and is moved in the ‘P’ direction, so that the pressure of the discharge space S
2
becomes relatively low compared to that of the suction space S
1
and the oil of the suction space S
1
flows to the discharge space S
2
.
At this time, the oil suction valve
24
is turned to open in the ‘Q’ direction, while the oil discharge valve
27
is turned in the ‘P’ direction, closing the discharge side of the oil cylinder
21
to thereby prevent the oil from flowing backward.
However, as to the oil supply apparatus of the linear compressor of the conventional art, since the number of parts constructing the oil feeder is too many, the number of assembly process is increased, causing a problem in that its productivity is deteriorated.
In addition, since the oil suction valve controlling inputting and outputting of the oil is so small, its fabrication and assembling is very difficult.
Moreover, the opening and closing portion of the oil suction valve contacts the compressive coil spring supporting the oil piston, opening and closing operation of the oil valve is not made smoothly, failing to control properly the input and outputting of the oil.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an oil supply apparatus of a linear compressor which is capable of improving a productivity by reducing assembly holes in number by reducing the number of parts for construction of the oil supply apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an oil supply apparatus of a linear compressor by which a productivity and assembly of a valve controlling inputting and outputting of oil is facilitated, and the valve does not contact any other structure during its opening and closing so that a proper amount of oil is constantly supplied.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purposed of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an oil supply apparatus of a linear compressor including an oil feeder frame having an oil cylinder, an oil suction hole communicated with the oil cylinder and an oil discharge hole; an oil cover combined to the oil feeder frame to cover the oil cylinder and having an oil suction opening selectively communicated with the oil suction hole and an oil communication space selectively communicated with the oil cylinder and the oil discharge hole; an oil piston positioned between the oil feeder frame and the oil cover, being inserted in the oil cylinder and performing a slidable reciprocal movement to suck and discharge oil; and a single oil valve positioned between the oil cover and the piston.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5993175 (1999-11-01), Kim et al.
patent: 6024544 (2000-02-01), Kim et al.
patent: 6089836 (2000-07-01), Seo
patent: 6220393 (2001-02-01), Oh et al.
Lee Hyeong Kook
Oh Won Sik
Freay Charles G.
Gray Michael K.
LG Electronics Inc.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
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