Pumps – With muffler acting on pump fluid
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-12
2001-01-16
Thorpe, Timothy S. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
With muffler acting on pump fluid
C417S417000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174141
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for coupling a muffler for a linear compressor, and in particular to an improved structure for coupling a muffler for a linear compressor which is capable of implementing an easier fabrication, preventing a friction noise generated between elements when a piston reciprocates by obtaining a stable coupling between the elements, and preventing any deformation in the radial direction of a spring which elastically supports the piston and fixes a muffler to the piston.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Generally, a compressor which forms a refrigerating cycle apparatus such as an evaporator, an accumulator, etc. includes a driving force generator, which is a machine for compressing gases such as air or refrigerant based on a rotation movement of a vane or a rotor or a reciprocating movement of a piston, for driving the vane, rotor, and piston, and a compression mechanism unit for sucking and compressing the gas based on the driving force transferred from the driving force generator.
The thusly constituted compressor is classified into a hermetic type and a separation type based on the installation type of the driving force generator and the compression mechanism unit. Of which, in the hermetic type, the driving force generator and the compression mechanism unit are installed in a predetermined shaped hermetic container, and in the separation type, the driving force generator is installed outside the hermetic container, so that a driving force generated by the driving force generator is applied to the compression mechanism unit in the hermetic container.
The hermetic type compressor is classified into a rotary type, a reciprocating type, a linear type and a scroll type in accordance with the structure for compressing gas. Recently, the user of the linear compressor is increased due to its characteristic that the piston is directly reciprocated using a magnet and coil without using a crank shaft in order to overcome various problems of the compressor which is designed to use the crank shaft.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, in the linear compressor, a hallow cylindrical inner casing
2
with its both ends being opened is installed in the interior of a hallow cylindrical hermetic container
1
. A semi-circular cover
10
having a suction hole
10
a
formed at its center portion is covered at one end of the inner casing
2
. A semicircular cover plate
3
having a through hole (not shown) formed at its center portion is covered at the other end of the inner casing
2
. A cylindrical cylinder
4
is inserted into the through hole of the cover plate
3
, and an exhaust valve assembly
13
and a head cover
14
are engaged to an end portion of the cylinder
4
for thereby discharging a compressed refrigerant gas.
In addition, in the interior of the inner casing is installed a linear motor comprising an outer lamination
5
fixed to an inner wall of the inner casing
2
in a circular form, a circular inner lamination
6
fixedly inserted into an outer surface of the cylinder
4
, a hallow cylindrical first magnet paddle
7
with its both ends being disposed between the laminations
5
and
6
, and a second magnet paddle
8
covering one end of the first magnet paddle
7
. One end of the piston
9
is fixed at the center portion of the inner surface of the second magnet paddle
8
of the linear motor so that the same is reciprocated within the cylinder
4
. When a power is supplied, the first magnet paddle
7
reciprocates between the laminations
5
and
6
at a high speed by the magnetic force induced between the laminations
5
and
6
, so that the piston
9
is moved for thereby compressing the refrigerant gas sucked.
In addition, the piston
9
includes a cylindrical piston body
9
a
having a gas path F formed therein, and a support portion
9
b
extended from the end portion of the piston body
9
a
and having a predetermined area. A plurality of engaging holes (not shown) are formed at the support portion
9
b
, so that the piston
9
is engaged with the second magnet paddle
8
by an engaging bolt (not shown).
In addition, an inner side coil spring
11
is installed between an inner surface of the inner lamination
6
and an inner surface of the second magnet paddle
8
, and an outer coil spring
12
is installed between an outer surface of the second magnet paddle
8
and an inner surface of the cover
10
for thereby elastically supporting the piston
9
when the piston
9
reciprocates within the cylinder
4
in association with the first and second magnet paddles of the linear motor for thereby generating and storing a kinetic energy.
Here, the support structure of the inner and outer side coil springs
11
and
12
will be explained.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, in the spring support structure for a conventional linear compressor, a first support plate
17
having a rim portion
17
b
perpendicularly curved to have an inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the outer coil spring
12
at the rim portion of a circular plate portion
17
a
having a predetermined thickness is engaged at the inner side center portion of the cover
10
. A second support plate
18
having a rim portion
18
b
perpendicularly curved to have an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the outer coil spring
12
at the rim portion of the circular plate portion
18
a
having a predetermined thickness is engaged at an outer surface of the second magnet paddle
8
. A third support plate
19
having a rim potion
19
b
perpendicularly curved to have an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the inner coil spring
11
at the rim portion of the circular plate portion
19
a
having a predetermined thickness is engaged at the inner surface of the second magnet paddle
8
. A fourth support plate
20
having a rim portion
20
b
perpendicularly curved to have an inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the inner coil spring
11
at the rim portion of the circular plate having a predetermined thickness is engaged at a surface of the inner lamination
6
. The outer coil spring
12
is disposed between the first support plate
17
and the second support plate
18
. The inner coil spring
11
is disposed between the third support plate
19
and the fourth support plate for thereby elastically supporting the piston
9
.
At this time, the outer coil spring
12
has its one end fixed to the first support plate
17
and its another end loosely supported by the second support plate
18
. The inner coil spring
11
has its one end loosely supported by the third support plate
19
, and its another end fixed to the fourth support plate
20
.
In the drawings, reference numeral
16
represents an oil supply apparatus, and
1
a
represents a suction tube.
The operation of the conventional linear compressor will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Namely, in the conventional linear compressor, when a current is applied to the linear motor, a magnetic force is induced between the inner lamination
6
and the outer lamination
5
. Therefore, the first magnet paddle
7
reciprocates between the laminations
5
and
6
at a high speed. The second magnet paddle
8
covering one end of the first magnet paddle
7
is activated, and the piston
9
connected with the inner center portion of the second magnet paddle
8
reciprocates within the interior of the cylinder
4
. The refrigerant gas sucked into the hermetic container
1
is sucked into a compression space P of the cylinder
4
through the gas flow path F formed in the interior of the piston
9
, and then is compressed therein. The thusly compressed gas is exhausted through the exhaust valve assembly
13
and the head cover
14
.
At this time, the refrigerant gas introduced into the hermetic container
1
is fully filled into the interior of the hermetic container
1
. When the piston
9
reciprocates, the gas is sucked into the compression space P formed in the interior of the cylinder
4
along the gas flow path F of the piston
9
Kim Hyung-Jin
Lee Hyeong-Kook
Song Gye-Young
LG Electronics Inc.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Thorpe Timothy S.
Torrente David J.
LandOfFree
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