Linear compressor and refrigerator including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12098715-B2
Application number	US-202217575322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2022
Priority date	Jan 12, 2018
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a linear compressor and a refrigerator including the same. A linear compressor according to the spirit of the present disclosure includes a shell, a cylinder, a piston and a muffler. And the muffler includes a plurality of flow tubes extending in a flow direction of the refrigerant, and a plurality of through-holes passing through at least one of the plurality of flow tubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A linear compressor comprising:
a shell;
a cylinder that is located inside of the shell and that defines a compression space;
a piston that is located inside of the cylinder, that is configured to reciprocate relative to the cylinder, and that is configured to compress refrigerant in the compression space; and
a muffler that is coupled to the piston and that is configured to guide the refrigerant from an inlet of the muffler toward an outlet of the muffler,
wherein the muffler comprises a plurality of flow tubes that extend in a flow direction of the refrigerant from the inlet of the muffler to the outlet of the muffler,
wherein at least one of the plurality of flow tubes includes at least one variable portion that has a flow cross-sectional area increasing along the flow direction,
wherein the muffler comprises:
a first muffler disposed inside of the piston, and
a second muffler coupled to a rear portion of the first muffler,

wherein the plurality of flow tubes comprise a first flow tube defining the first muffler and a second flow tube defining the second muffler,
wherein each of the first flow tube and the second flow tube defines the at least one variable portion,
wherein each of an outer surface of the first flow tube and an inner surface of the first flow tube defines a continuous surface that is inclined with respect to the flow direction and extends from an inlet of the first flow tube to an outlet of the first flow tube,
wherein each of an outer surface of the second flow tube and an inner surface of the second flow tube defines a continuous surface that is inclined with respect to the flow direction and extends from an inlet of the second flow tube to an outlet of the second flow tube,
wherein the first flow tube and the second flow tube extend in an axial direction of the piston and are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and
wherein a diameter of the inlet of the first flow tube is greater than a diameter of the outlet of the second flow tube.

2. The linear compressor of claim 1 , wherein the muffler further comprises a third muffler that accommodates the second muffler and that is coupled to a rear portion of the piston.

3. The linear compressor of claim 2 , wherein the rear portion of the first muffler is accommodated in the third muffler and disposed rearward relative to the rear portion of the piston.

4. The linear compressor of claim 2 , wherein the third muffler is disposed outside of the piston.

5. The linear compressor of claim 1 , wherein the first muffler comprises:
a first coupling portion that extends radially outward from the first flow tube; and
a first suction portion that extends rearward relative to the first flow tube and is in contact with the second muffler.

6. The linear compressor of claim 5 , wherein the second muffler comprises a second coupling portion that extends radially outward from the second flow tube and that extends forward to the first suction portion, the second coupling portion being in contact with the first suction portion.

7. The linear compressor of claim 6 , wherein the inlet of the first flow tube is a first inlet defined at a first end of the first flow tube, the first inlet facing the second muffler and being located inside of the first suction portion, and
wherein the outlet of the first flow tube is a first outlet defined at a second end of the first flow tube opposite to the first end of the first flow tube.

8. The linear compressor of claim 7 , wherein the inlet of the second flow tube is a second inlet defined at a first end of the second flow tube, and
wherein the outlet of the second flow tube is a second outlet defined at a second end of the second flow tube opposite to the first end of the second flow tube, the second outlet facing the first muffler and being located inside of the second coupling portion.

9. The linear compressor of claim 8 , wherein the diameter of the first inlet of the first flow tube is different from a diameter of the first outlet of the first flow tube, and
wherein a diameter of the second inlet of the second flow tube is different from the diameter of the second outlet of the second flow tube.

10. The linear compressor of claim 9 , wherein the diameter of the first outlet of the first flow tube is greater than the diameter of the first inlet of the first flow tube,
wherein the diameter of the second outlet of the second flow tube is greater than the diameter of the second inlet of the second flow tube, and
wherein the diameter of the first inlet of the first flow tube is greater than the diameter of the second outlet of the second flow tube.

11. The linear compressor of claim 1 , wherein the second muffler is disposed outside of the piston.

12. The linear compressor of claim 1 , wherein the second flow tube is disposed outside of the piston.

13. The linear compressor of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the first flow tube faces the piston and defines a maximum diameter of the first flow tube, and
wherein the inlet of the first flow tube faces the second flow tube and defines a minimum diameter of the first flow tube.

14. The linear compressor of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the second flow tube faces the first flow tube and defines a maximum diameter of the second flow tube, and
wherein the inlet of the second flow tube defines a minimum diameter of the second flow tube.

15. The linear compressor of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the outlet of the first flow tube is greater than the diameter of the inlet of the first flow tube.

16. The linear compressor of claim 15 , wherein a diameter of a central region of the first flow tube between the outlet and the inlet of the first flow tube is less than the diameter of the outlet of the first flow tube and greater than the diameter of the inlet of the first flow tube.

17. The linear compressor of claim 16 , wherein the diameter of the outlet of the second flow tube is greater than a diameter of the inlet of the second flow tube.

18. The linear compressor of claim 17 , wherein a diameter of a central region of the second flow tube between the outlet and the inlet of the second flow tube is less than the diameter of the outlet of the second flow tube and greater than the diameter of the inlet of the second flow tube.

19. The linear compressor of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the outlet of the first flow tube is greater than the diameter of the inlet of the first flow tube, and
wherein the diameter of the outlet of the second flow tube is greater than a diameter of the inlet of the second flow tube.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jongwoo
• Jeon Gyeoungjin
• Ha Jonghun

Classifications

• F04B35/045 Primary

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