Suction muffler located inside a piston of a linear compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012222-B2
Application number	US-201314652607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Dec 18, 2012
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

The compressor comprises a movable assembly carrying a suction muffler and formed by: a piston ( 10 ) having a skirt ( 11 ) with an open rear end ( 11 a ) and a closed front end ( 11 b ) which carries a suction valve ( 50 ); and an actuator. The suction muffler comprises: a first and a second tubular insert ( 61, 62 ) defining a first and a second chamber (C 1 , C 2 ) and having confronting open ends ( 61 a, 62 a ) spaced from each other, and closed opposite ends ( 61 b, 62 b ) respectively affixed to a top wall ( 12 ) of the piston ( 10 ) and to the actuator; a third tubular insert ( 63 ) internally lining the skirt ( 11 ); and an annular passage ( 15 ), between the third and the second tubular inserts ( 63, 62 ), open to the first and second chambers (C 1 , C 2 ), and communicating the open rear end ( 11 a ) of the skirt ( 11 ) with the suction valve ( 50 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suction muffler for a linear motor compressor of the type comprising a movable assembly formed by: a piston having a cylindrical tubular skirt, with an open rear end and a front end closed by a top wall carrying a suction valve; and an actuator, connected to the piston to drive it in a reciprocating motion, said muffler being characterized in that it comprises: a first and a second tubular insert, at least the second of which being entirely located in the interior of the skirt, said first and second tubular inserts having confronting open ends spaced from each other, and closed opposite ends respectively affixed to the top wall of the piston and to the actuator, the first and the second tubular inserts defining, in the interior thereof, a first chamber and a second chamber, respectively; a third tubular insert, made of a thermally insulating material and provided so as to internally line the skirt of the piston; and an annular passage, defined by a radial spacing between the third tubular insert and the second tubular insert and which is open to the first and second chambers, through the open ends of the first and the second tubular inserts, and communicating the open rear end of the skirt with the suction valve.

2. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 1 , characterized in that the first and second tubular inserts are coaxial.

3. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 1 , characterized in that the first and second tubular inserts have the same outer diameter.

4. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 1 , characterized in that the first insert has a portion adjacent to the open end which projects to the interior of the skirt and defines a radial spacing in relation to the third tubular insert, in order to form another annular passage facing the annular passage and open to the latter and to the interior of the first and second chambers.

5. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 4 , characterized in that the annular passage and the other annular passage are defined by the same constant radial spacing of the first and second inserts in relation to the third insert.

6. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 4 , characterized in that the third tubular insert is built in a single piece with the second tubular insert, being joined to the latter by a plurality of radial fins, arranged angularly offset in relation to each other.

7. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 4 , characterized in that the third tubular insert presents an opposite end and at least one small outer annular projection, provided in a region of said opposite end and radially seated against the skirt in a region of the open rear end of the skirt, to maintain the third tubular insert slightly spaced from the skirt and preventing the refrigerant gas from entering into the interior of a reduced radial spacing defined between the skirt and the third tubular insert.

8. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 7 , characterized in that the first insert has its closed opposite end hermetically seated and affixed in the actuator.

9. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 8 , characterized in that the closed opposite end of the first tubular insert presents an annular end edge, to be hermetically seated against an annular wall provided in the actuator, and an inner thread portion to be engaged to a respective thread portion provided on the actuator.

10. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 1 , the compressor being provided with a rod internal to the piston and having a first end affixed to the piston in a region of the top wall, and a second end affixed to the actuator, the muffler being characterized in that the first and second tubular inserts are located around the rod and have the closed opposite ends thereof respectively affixed to the top wall of the piston by means of the first end of the rod, and to the actuator by the second end of the rod.

11. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 10 , characterized in that the first end of the rod is in the form of an axial projection of reduced diameter, provided with an outer thread and engaged inside a threaded axial hole of the top wall of the piston.

12. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 10 , characterized in that the closed opposite end of the second tubular insert incorporates an inner annular wall which is seated and axially locked, around the region of the first end of the rod.

13. The suction muffler, as set forth in claim 12 , characterized in that the inner annular wall is provided with a median recess facing outwards and seated on a confronting cutout region of the top wall of the piston.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Sa

Inventors

• Lilie Dietmar Erich Bernhard
• Wajczyk Talita

Classifications

• F04B39/0005

  adaptations of pistons · CPC title

• F04B39/0022

  piston rods · CPC title

• F04B39/0027

  Pulsation and noise damping means · CPC title

• F04B39/0055

  with a special shape of fluid passage, e.g. bends, throttles, diameter changes, pipes · CPC title

• F04B39/0061

  using muffler volumes · CPC title