Pumps – Motor driven – Electric or magnetic motor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-16
2004-09-14
Lu, Justin R. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Motor driven
Electric or magnetic motor
C417S415000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06790015
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a piston supporting structure for a linear compressor, and in particular to a piston supporting structure for a linear compressor in which a spring elastically supporting a piston supports the piston, being only axially contracted and relaxed by the reciprocating movement of the piston in receipt of driving force of a motor, While not being displaced in a radial direction.
BACKGROUND ART
Generally, a compressor constituting a refrigerating cycle apparatus compresses refrigerant introduced from an evaporator and discharges the same to a high temperature and pressure state.
A linear compressor, an example of the above-described compressor, inducts refrigerant gas and compresses the same by driving force of a motor transferred to a piston reciprocating in a cylinder. At this time, the piston is elastically:supported by springs at both sides thereof, and the kinetic energy thereof is stored.
As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, the above-described linear compressor includes a closed vessel
1
formed to have predetermined inner space, an inner case
2
installed at the inner center portion of the closed vessel
1
and formed to have a predetermined inner space, a cover plate
3
for covering and opening one side of the inner case
2
, a cylinder
4
connected to the cover plate
3
so as to be positioned at the inner portion of the inner case
2
, an outer lamination
5
connected to the inner side of the inner case
2
, an inner lamination
6
connected to the cylinder at a predetermined distance from the outer lamination
5
, a magnet
7
inserted between the inner lamination
5
and the outer lamination
6
thereby to construct a motor including them, a piston
8
connected to a cylindrical compression space (P) formed at the inner portion of the cylinder
4
to be reciprocatingly movable, a connecting member
9
formed in a predetermined shape with its one side being connected to the magnet
7
and the other side being connected to one side of the piston
8
for thereby transferring driving force of the motor to the piston
8
, a cover
10
for covering and opening the other side of the inner case
2
, an inner spring
11
connected between the connecting member
9
and the inner lamination
6
, and an outer springs
12
connected between the connecting member
9
and the cover
10
.
The inner spring
11
and the outer spring
12
are usually round coil springs.
In addition, a valve assembly
13
for inducting refrigerant gas into the cylinder
4
and discharging compressed refrigerant gas to the outside of the cylinder
4
and a head cover
14
are connected to one side of the cylinder
4
.
Unexplained reference numerals
15
and
16
in
FIG. 5
each represents a winding coil and an oil feeder.
Hereinafter, the operation of the conventional linear compressor thus constructed will now be described.
When a current is applied to the motor, the magnet
7
linearly reciprocates. The linear reciprocating movement of the magnet
7
is transferred to the piston by the connecting member
9
, and thereby the piston
8
reciprocates in the compression space (P) of the cylinder.
In this manner, as the piston
8
reciprocates in the compression space (P) of the cylinder
4
refrigerant gas induced into the closed vessel
1
is inducted into the compression space (P) of the cylinder
4
through a refrigerant inlet passage (F), compressed and discharged to the outside of the cylinder through the valve assembly
13
and the head cover
14
repeatedly.
At this time, the piston
8
is elastically supported by the inner and outer springs
11
and
12
positioned at both sides of the piston
8
, while storing and discharging kinetic energy. Hereinafter, the example of the piston supporting structure for the conventional linear compressor of the inner and outer springs
11
and
12
supporting the piston
8
will now be described.
As illustrated in
FIG. 2
, a first supporting plate
17
including a disc unit
17
a
having a predetermined thickness and a circumferential unit
17
b
vertically curved and extended to have an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the outer spring
12
at the circumferential portion of the disc unit
17
a
is connected to the inner side of the cover
10
.
In addition, a second supporting plate
18
including a disc unit
18
a
having a predetermined thickness and a circumferential unit
18
vertically curved and extended to have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the outer spring
12
at the circumferential portion of the disc unit
18
a
is connected to the outer side of the connecting member
9
so that it is opposed to the first supporting plate
17
.
In addition, a third supporting plate
19
including a disc unit
19
a
having, a predetermined thickness and a circumferential unit
19
b
vertically curved and extended to have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner spring
11
at the circumferential portion of the disc unit
19
a
is connected to the inner side of the connecting member.
In addition, a fourth supporting plate
20
including a disc unit
20
a
having a predetermined thickness and a circumferential unit
20
b
vertically curved and extended to have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner spring
11
at the circumferential portion of the disc unit
20
a
is connected to the outer side of the inner lamination
6
so that it is opposed to the third supporting plate
19
.
The outer spring
12
is connected between the first and second supporting plates
17
and
18
thus connected, and the inner spring
1
is connected between the third and fourth supporting plates
19
and
20
.
In detail, one end portion of the outer spring
12
is fixedly connected to the first supporting plate
17
, and the other end portion is loosely
20
supported by the second supporting plate
18
.
In addition, one end portion of the inner spring
11
is loosely supported by the third supporting plate
19
, and the other end portion is fixedly connected to the fourth supporting plate
20
.
Therefore, when the piston
8
reciprocates by driving force of the motor transferred to the piston
8
by the connecting member
9
, the outer spring
12
and the inner spring
11
, as illustrated in
FIG. 3
, are positioned linearly in the axial direction, and then elastically support the movement of the piston
8
while repeatedly being contracted and relaxed and store and discharge kinetic energy into elastic energy at the same time.
FIG.
3
and
FIG. 4
to be explained below illustrate only the operation of the inner spring
11
.
However, in the conventional linear motor described above, when the inner and outer springs
11
and
12
for elastically supporting the piston reciprocating in the compression space (P) of the cylinder in receipt of driving force of the motor by the connecting member
9
are contracted and relaxed in the axial direction, the inner and outer springs
11
and
12
each supported by the second supporting plate
18
and the third supporting plate
19
connected to the connecting member
9
connected to the piston
8
are loosely supported. Therefore, as illustrated in
FIG. 4
, when the inner and outer springs
11
and
12
are contracted and relaxed in the axial direction, an eccentricity is generated in a radius direction. Then, as illustrated in
FIG. 5
, an angular moment due to F
3
and F
b
which are in the reciprocal directions is applied to the piston
8
by the eccentricity of the spring. Subsequently, there arises a problem that an abrasion is generated by the friction between the outer circumferential side of the piston reciprocating in the compression space (P) of the cylinder
4
and the inner circumferential side of the cylinder
4
.
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS TO BE OVERCOME IN THE PRESENT INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a piston supporting structure for an linear compressor in which a spring elastically supporting a piston supports the piston, being only axially contracted and relaxed by the reciproc
LG Electronics Inc.
Lu Justin R.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Rodriguez William H.
LandOfFree
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