Pumps – Motor driven – Electric or magnetic motor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-24
2002-06-25
Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Motor driven
Electric or magnetic motor
C417S372000, C417S569000, C184S032000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06409484
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an oil supply unit of a linear compressor, and more particularly, to an oil supply unit of a linear compressor which is capable of facilitating fabricating and assembling an oil suction valve.
BACKGROUND ART
As is known, a linear compressor is an equipment for compressing a coolant by directly moving reciprocally by means of a magnet and a coil instead of a crank shaft.
FIG. 1
shows a general linear compressor in accordance with a conventional art. As shown in the drawing, the linear compressor includes a compressive unit ‘C’ installed in a well-closed container ‘V’ filled with oil at its bottom in the horizontal direction for sucking, compressing and discharging a coolant, and an oil supply unit ‘O’ fixed at an outside of the compressive unit ‘C’ for supplying oil to friction portions of construction elements.
The construction of the compressive unit ‘C’ will now be described in detail.
The compressive unit ‘C’ includes a frame
1
installed inside the well-closed container ‘V’, a cylinder
2
inserted into a through hole formed at the central portion of the frame
1
, a piston
3
inserted inside the cylinder and for being moved linearly and reciprocally by the driving of a linear motor, and a discharge cover
5
having a discharge valve
4
that opens and closes the cylinder
2
according to the reciprocal movement of the piston
3
, and combined to one side of the cylinder
2
to be opened.
A first oil pocket
1
b
is formed at the inner circumferential surface of the through hole of the frame
1
, communicating with the discharging side of the oil supply unit ‘O’ by an oil inlet passage
1
a.
A second oil pocket
3
a
is formed at the outer circumferential surface of the piston
3
. An oil through hole
2
a
is formed at the cylinder
2
, rendering the first oil pocket
1
b
to be communicated with the second oil pocket
3
a.
An oil circulation path
1
d
is formed at the uppermost portion of the first oil pocket
1
b
by the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder
2
, the through hole of the frame
1
and the discharge cover
5
, communicating with an oil communicating path
1
c.
An oil discharge hole
1
e
is formed at the lowermost portion of the oil circulating path
1
d,
to return the oil that circulated through the oil circulating path
1
d
to the well-closed container ‘V’.
The construction of the oil supply unit ‘O’ will now be described in detail.
FIG. 2
is a vertical-sectional view of the oil supply unit of the linear compressor in accordance with the conventional art.
FIG. 3A
is a plan view of an oil suction valve of the oil supply unit of the linear compressor in accordance with the conventional art, and
FIG. 3B
is a plan view of an oil discharge valve of the oil supply unit of the linear compressor in accordance with the conventional art.
As shown in the drawings, the oil supply unit ‘O’ includes an oil cylinder
21
attached at the bottom of the compressive unit ‘C’, an oil piston
22
inserted into the oil cylinder
21
, dividing the inside of the oil cylinder
21
to a suction space S
1
and a discharge space S
2
, a first and a second oil springs
23
A and
23
B of which each one end elastically support both ends of the oil piston against the oil cylinder
21
, an oil suction cover
24
and an oil discharge cover
25
for respectively supporting each other end of the first and the second oil springs
23
A and
23
B, and respectively fixing the both ends of the oil cylinder
21
to the compressive unit ‘C’, an oil suction valve
26
positioned between the outlet of the oil piston
22
and the one end portion of the second oil spring
23
B, to be supported by the second oil spring
23
B, and an oil discharge valve
27
positioned at one side of the other end portion of the second oil spring
23
B and being mounted inside the oil discharge cover
25
.
The oil piston
22
is inserted in a manner that is outer circumferential surface slidably contacts the inner circumferential surface of the oil cylinder
21
, and an oil passage
22
a
is penetratingly formed in the lengthy direction at its inner central portion.
In a spiral form, the oil suction valve
26
is inserted in the oil cylinder
21
and tightly supported by the second oil spring
23
B at the outlet portion of the oil piston
22
. Meanwhile, in a rectangular form, the oil discharge valve
27
is adhered at the outer surface of the discharging side of the oil cylinder
21
, being supported by the oil discharge cover
25
.
Reference numeral
6
denotes a stator assembly a stator, and reference numeral
7
denotes a magnet assembly, a rotor,
8
denotes a cover,
9
denotes a main spring, and
10
denotes a suction pipe.
The operation of the oil supply unit of the linear compressor of the conventional art constructed as described above will now be explained.
The compressive unit ‘C’ is vibrated in the horizontal direction along with the magnet assembly according to the linear reciprocal movement of the magnet assembly
7
, the rotor of the linear motor, and the vibration is transferred to the oil supply unit ‘O’ fixed at the compressive unit ‘C’, rendering the oil supply unit ‘O’ to move reciprocally. At this time, the oil piston
22
is slidably inserted to the oil cylinder, so that the oil is sucked and discharged by the inertial force corresponding to the reciprocal movement of the oil cylinder
21
.
The thusly pumped oil by the oil supply unit ‘O’ is induced to the first oil pocket
1
b
through the oil inlet passage
1
a
and then induced to the second oil pocket
3
a
through the oil through hole
2
a,
cooling the heat generated at the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder
2
and the heat generated at the linear motor and lubricating the sliding portion between the cylinder
2
and the piston
3
. And then, the oil is induced to the oil circulating path
1
d
through the first oil pocket
1
b
and the oil communicating path
1
c,
which is circulated the cylinder
2
and the discharge cover
4
, while cooling it, and then returns to the well-closed container ‘V’ through the oil discharge hole
1
e.
The operation that the oil supply unit ‘O’ pumps the oil will now be described with reference to
FIGS. 4A and 4B
.
First, when the oil cylinder
21
is moved in the ‘A’ direction of
FIG. 4A
, resultantly, the oil piston
22
is moved in the ‘B’ direction, so that the oil that filled the discharge space ‘S
2
’ is pushed toward the oil discharge cover
25
while oil is induced to the suction space ‘S
1
’ to be filled.
At this time, the oil suction valve
26
is closed, closing the oil passage
22
a
of the oil piston
22
, while the oil discharge valve
27
is pulled back in the ‘B’ direction, opening the discharging side of the oil cylinder
21
.
Reversely, in case that the oil cylinder
21
is moved in the ‘B’ direction of Figure B, resultantly, the oil piston
22
is moved in the ‘A’ direction, so that the pressure of the discharge space ‘S
2
’ becomes relatively low compared to that of the suction space ‘S
1
’, rendering the oil of the suction space ‘S
1
’ to be moved to the discharge space ‘S
2
’.
At this time, the first oil spring
23
A is compressed while the second oil spring
23
B is extended, and the oil suction valve
26
is opened while the oil discharge valve
27
is rotated in the ‘A’ direction to close the discharging side of the oil cylinder
21
to thereby prevent backflow of the oil.
However, as to the oil supply unit of the conventional linear compressor, since the oil suction valve controlling the inlet and outlet of the oil is made small to be mounted within the cylinder having small diameter, its fabrication and assembling is not easy.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oil supply unit of a linear compressor which is capable of improving a productivity by facilitating fabrication and assembling of a valve that controls inlet and outlet of oil.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided an oil supply unit of a linear compressor includi
Freay Charles G.
Gray Michael K.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
LandOfFree
Oil supply unit of linear compressor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Oil supply unit of linear compressor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Oil supply unit of linear compressor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2926551