Pumps – Expansible chamber type – Electrically or magnetically actuated distributor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-15
2004-09-14
Yu, Justine R. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Expansible chamber type
Electrically or magnetically actuated distributor
C417S280000, C251S065000, C251S129150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06790018
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust valve, in particular, capable of correctly opening an outlet port of a cylinder while maximizing compression efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally in a cooling cycle, fluid having a large amount of heat is sucked and then exhausted after loosing heat through compressing, condensing, expanding and evaporating processes.
A cooling apparatus for performing the above processes may comprise a compressor, a condenser, expansion valves and an evaporator. The compressor sucks and compresses coolant evaporated in the evaporator to raise the pressure thereof so that coolant may be converted into a state liquefiable at a relatively high temperature.
In general, the compressor is divided into a reciprocating compressor, a revolving compressor, a scrolling compressor and the like according to application policies thereof. The reciprocating compressor can compress coolant through processes of sucking, compressing and exhausting coolant gas as a piston reciprocates inside a cylinder. The reciprocating compressor has a suction valve for sucking coolant, a cylinder for compressing coolant introduced through the suction valve and an exhaust valve for exhausting coolant compressed in the cylinder.
FIG. 1
is a schematic perspective view illustrating a conventional reciprocating compressor.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the reciprocating compressor comprises a column-shaped cylinder
11
, a piston
12
for being inserted into one side of the cylinder
11
and performing a linear reciprocating motion inside the cylinder
11
to compress fluid, suction and exhaust valves
14
and
15
arranged in opposition to the front of the piston
12
for sucking and exhausting fluid, a valve plate
13
arranged between the suction valve
14
and the exhaust valve
15
for supporting the suction and exhaust valves
14
and
15
and a head cover
16
having channels for fluid which is introduced into the cylinder
11
and exhausted from the same.
The reciprocating compressor further comprises a connecting rod
17
connected to the rear of the piston
12
and a crank shaft
18
connected to the rod
17
and rotated by a motor (not shown).
Briefly describing the operation of the reciprocating compressor, the motor (not shown) is driven to rotate the crank shaft
18
so that the connecting rod
17
connected to the crank shaft
18
may move in a circle in cooperation with the connecting rod
17
. The movement of the connecting rod
17
causes the piston
12
connected thereto to perform a linear reciprocating motion so that fluid is sucked into the cylinder
11
, compressed therein, and then exhausted therefrom.
In the above operation, the suction and exhaust valves
14
and
15
perform sucking and exhausting procedures as follows and have the following structures.
FIGS. 2A
to
2
D are schematic plan views illustrating a head cover (FIG.
2
A), an exhaust valve (FIG.
2
B), a valve plate (
FIG. 2C
) and a suction valve (FIG.
2
D), respectively, in a conventional reciprocating compressor. Seen from the front of the piston in
FIG. 1
, the cylinder may be sequentially coupled with the inlet valve, the valve plate, the outlet valve and the head cover in the order of description, i.e. from the inlet valve to the head cover.
Referring to
FIGS. 2A
to
2
D, the valve plate
13
includes a suction port
13
a
for sucking fluid and an exhaust port
13
b
for exhausting fluid as a member for supporting the suction valve
14
and the exhaust valve
15
.
The suction valve
14
is a member arranged between the valve plate
13
and the cylinder
11
, and has a suction plate
14
a
at a position corresponding to the suction port
13
a
of the valve plate
13
and an exhaust port
14
b
at a position corresponding to the exhaust port
13
b
of the valve plate
13
.
Further, the exhaust valve
15
is a member arranged between the valve plate
13
and the head cover
16
, and has an exhaust plate
15
a
at a position corresponding to the exhaust port
13
b
of the valve plate
13
and a suction port
15
b
at a position corresponding to the suction port
13
a
of the valve plate
13
.
The head cover
16
is a member for defining the channels of fluid sucked and exhausted into/from the cylinder, and has a suction tube
16
a
at a position corresponding to the suction port
13
a
of the valve plate and an exhaust tube
16
b
at a position corresponding to the exhaust port
13
b.
Description will be made about the operation of the conventional reciprocating compressor including the suction valve
14
, the valve plate and the exhaust valve
15
having the above configuration. When the piston
12
moves backward inside the cylinder
11
due to the circular motion of the crank shaft, the pressure within the cylinder
11
is lowered to fold the suction plate of the suction valve. Therefore, fluid is sucked into the cylinder via the folded suction plate
14
a
after passing through the suction tube
16
a
, the suction port
15
b
and the suction port
13
a
of the valve plate.
Fluid sucked as above is compressed as the piston
12
moves forward due to the circular motion of the crank shaft. Fluid compressed like this passes through the exhaust port
14
b
of the suction valve and the exhaust port
13
b
of the valve plate, and then flows out via the exhaust tube
16
b
of the head cover pushing out the exhaust plate
15
a
of the exhaust valve which is supported by a spring and the like.
FIGS. 3A and 3B
schematically illustrate the operation of the exhaust valve in the conventional reciprocating compressor, in which the suction valve is not shown for the convenience's sake of description.
Describing a process of exhausting fluid from the cylinder in reference to
FIGS. 3A and 3B
, fluid compressed via forward movement of the piston is exhausted via the exhaust port
13
b
of the valve plate, i.e. out of the cylinder pushing out the exhaust plate
15
a
of the exhaust valve. Preferably, the exhaust plate of the exhaust valve is made of a material capable of resisting a certain amount of pressure.
After fluid is exhausted, the piston moves backward due to the circular motion of the crank shaft accordingly lowering the pressure within the cylinder so that the exhaust pate
15
a
is shut due to its own elasticity to prevent further exhaustion of fluid.
The above process continuously takes place as the crank shaft continuously performs the circular motion while the piston connected thereto repeatedly performs the reciprocating motion.
However, according to the operation of the exhaust valve in the above reciprocating compressor, it can be seen that the exhaust plate
15
a
of the exhaust valve is folded for a certain degree instead of being completely folded in an exhausting process. Since the exhaust plate
15
a
is not completely folded as above, fluid is obstructed in exhaustion along a proceeding direction thereby preventing smooth exhaustion.
Further, the above valve is opened according to the fluid pressure inside the cylinder so that the exhaust valve is opened later than a desired time point thereby resulting in overshooting as a problem.
Further, when the exhaust valve
15
a
is shut in a sucking process, the entire portion of the exhausting valve
15
a
contacting to the valve plate
13
hits the valve plate
13
to produce noise. Heavy noise also takes place from vibration of the valve and fluid leakage through a gap which is produced by the valve folded in exhaustion.
The above phenomena not only degrade the entire efficiency of the reciprocating compressor but also provide users with displeasure due to heavy noise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in conjunction with the above problems and it is therefore an object of the invention to provide an exhaust valve capable of elevating compression efficiency by correctly opening an exhaust port.
It is another object of the invention to provide a reciprocating compressor having the above exhaust valve.
According to an aspect of the invention
An Kwang Hyup
Lee In Seop
Lee In Won
Lee Jeong-Ho
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
LG Electronics Inc.
Rodriguez William H.
Yu Justine R.
LandOfFree
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