Linear compressor having radial stoppers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10428810-B2
Application number	US-201715498694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	May 3, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A linear compressor is provided that may include a compressor casing including a cylindrical shell and a pair of shell that covers both ends of the shell; a frame fixed to an inside of the shell; a cylinder accommodated in the shell and defining a compression space for a refrigerant; a piston inserted into the cylinder to linearly reciprocate in an axial direction of the cylinder and compress the refrigerant provided to the compression space; a motor assembly including a motor that provides power for a linear reciprocating motion to the piston, and a motor support that supports the motor; a spring that allows a resonant motion of the piston; a back cover that supports the spring; and a stopper provided in one of the pair of shell covers and contacting the back cover when the motor assembly vibrates in a radial direction of the cylinder, thereby preventing the motor assembly from colliding with the shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A linear compressor, comprising:
a compressor casing including a cylindrical shell and a pair of shell covers that covers ends of the shell;
a frame fixed to an inside of the shell;
a cylinder accommodated in the shell and defining a compression space for a refrigerant;
a piston inserted into the cylinder to linearly reciprocate in an axial direction of the cylinder and compress the refrigerant provided to the compression space;
a motor assembly including a motor that provides power for a linear reciprocating motion to the piston, and a motor support that supports the motor;
at least one spring that allows a resonant motion of the piston;
a back cover that supports the at least one spring; and
a plurality of stoppers which is provided in one of the pair of shell covers and contacts the back cover when the motor assembly vibrates in a radial direction of the cylinder, thereby preventing the motor assembly from colliding with the shell, wherein an interval between the plurality of stoppers and the back cover in the radial direction of the cylinder is less than a minimum interval between the motor assembly and the shell, wherein the plurality of stoppers is spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the one of the pair of shell covers, wherein the back cover includes:
a cover body; and
a plurality of coupling legs spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the cover body, each coupling leg of the plurality of coupling legs being bent at an edge of the cover body and extending in the axial direction of the cylinder, and wherein, when the motor assembly vibrates in the radial direction of the cylinder, one or more of the plurality of coupling legs contact one or more of the plurality of stoppers.

2. The linear compressor according to claim 1 further including a support that couples the back cover to one of the pair of shell covers, wherein the support includes a plate spring that supports the back cover, and when the back cover moves in the axial direction, the support contacts the back cover to limit a movement of the back cover.

3. The linear compressor according to claim 1 , further including:
a discharge cover assembly which is coupled to the motor support and through which the compressed refrigerant is discharged;
a support that couples the discharge cover assembly to the shell and supports a compressor body; and
an additional stopper provided in the other of the pair of shell covers, wherein the additional stopper prevents the motor assembly from colliding with the shell, and wherein, when the motor assembly vibrates in the radial direction, the additional stopper is contactable with a portion of the support, wherein the additional stopper includes a cylindrical limiting portion, and the support includes a washer that contacts the limiting portion when the motor assembly vibrates in the radial direction.

4. A linear compressor, comprising:
a compressor casing including:
a cylindrical shell horizontally disposed; and
a pair of shell covers that covers both ends of the shell;
a compressor body horizontally received in the cylindrical shell, the compressor body including:
a frame fixed at an inside of the shell;
a cylinder accommodated in the shell and defining a compression space for a refrigerant;
a piston inserted into the cylinder to linearly reciprocate in an axial direction of the cylinder and compress the refrigerant provided to the compression space, the axial direction being defined as a horizontal direction;
a motor assembly including a motor that provides power for a linear reciprocating motion to the piston, and a motor support that supports the motor;
at least one spring that allows a resonant motion of the piston; and
a back cover that supports the at least one spring; and
a plurality of stoppers, which is provided in one of the pair of shell covers, is spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of one of the pair of shell covers, wherein the back cover includes:
a cover body; and
a plurality of coupling legs spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the cover body, each coupling leg of the plurality of coupling legs being bent at an edge of the cover body and extending in the axial direction of the cylinder, wherein, when the motor assembly vibrates in a radial direction of the cylinder, one or more of the plurality of coupling legs contact one or more of the plurality of stoppers, thereby preventing the motor assembly from colliding with the shell.

5. The linear compressor according to claim 1 , wherein an interval between the at least one stopper and the back cover in the radial direction of the cylinder is less than a minimum interval between the motor assembly and the shell.

6. The linear compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the plurality of coupling legs contacts the one or more of the plurality of stoppers in a region between a vertical plane bisecting the plurality of coupling legs in the axial direction and the cover body.

7. The linear compressor according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of stoppers includes:
a fixing portion fixed to one of the shell covers;
an extension which is bent at an end of the fixing portion and extends in a central direction of the shell; and
a contact portion that extends from an end of the extension in an extending direction of the plurality of coupling legs, wherein a respective one of the plurality of coupling legs contacts the contact portion.

8. The linear compressor according to claim 1 , further including a support that couples the back cover to one of the pair of shell covers, wherein the support includes a plate spring that supports the back cover, and when the back cover moves in the axial direction, the support contacts the back cover to limit a movement of the back cover.

9. The linear compressor according to claim 8 , wherein the plate spring includes:
an inner rim;
an outer rim defined on an outer side of the inner rim; and
a plurality of coupling portion rounded in a spiral shape to couple the inner rim to the outer rim and spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the plate spring.

10. The linear compressor according to claim 9 , wherein the support includes:
a spring coupling portion that passes through the inner rim, is fixed to the inner rim, and is coupled to one of the pair of shell covers; and
a back cover coupling member that couples the back cover to the outer rim and maintains a state in which the plate spring is spaced apart from the back cover, wherein, when the back cover moves in the axial direction, the back cover is contactable with the spring coupling portion.

11. The linear compressor according to claim 10 , wherein a recess is recessed in a direction away from one of the pair of shell covers at a surface of the cover body, and when the back cover moves in the axial direction, the spring coupling portion contacts the recess.

12. The linear compressor according to claim 1 , further including:
a discharge cover assembly which is coupled to the motor support and through which the compressed refrigerant is discharged;
a support that couples the discharge cover assembly to the shell and supports the compressor body; and
an additional stopper provided in the other of the pair of shell covers, wherein the additional stopper prevents the motor assembly from colliding with the shell, and wherein, when the motor assembly vibrates in the radial direction, the additional stopper is contactable with a portion of the support.

13. The linear compressor according to claim 12 , wherein

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ha Dongkyun
• Yu Yunhyeok
• Lee Jongwoo
• Jeon Gyeoungjin
• Jung Wonhyun

Classifications

• F04B35/04 Primary

  the means being electric · CPC title

• F04B19/22

  of reciprocating-piston type · CPC title

• F04B39/127

  Mounting of a cylinder block in a casing · CPC title

• F04B39/0044 Primary

  with vibration damping supports · CPC title

• F04B35/045

  using solenoids · CPC title