Linear Compressor Discharge Cover Design for Leakage Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Linear compressors face refrigerant leakage issues due to gaps formed during the welding process of multiple components in the discharge cover, increasing production costs and complexity, and requiring skilled labor for dimension management.

Innovation Solution

The discharge cover is manufactured using aluminum die-casting, eliminating the need for welding and reducing the number of components, with a design that includes a cover housing, dividing sleeve, and discharge cover to create multiple discharge chambers, guiding refrigerant flow and reducing noise through guide grooves and communication grooves.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If multiple steel components are welded to form the discharge cover, then the structural strength is improved, but refrigerant leakage occurs due to gaps formed during welding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidrefrigerant leakage prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate steel components (first cover portion, second cover portion, third cover portion) into a single integrated discharge cover component. This eliminates the welding joints between components that created gaps, thereby preventing refrigerant leakage while maintaining structural strength through the unified design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Stability of the object's composition

If multiple components are assembled to form the discharge cover, then the structural integrity is improved, but the number of components increases leading to higher production costs and complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines six separate components into one integrated discharge cover, reducing the number of parts that need to be manufactured, stored, and assembled. This simplification maintains structural integrity through the unified design while reducing production costs and assembly complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

While reducing the overall number of components, the patent introduces internal segmentation within the discharge cover through dividing sleeves that create multiple discharge chambers. This allows the single component to perform multiple functions (structural support, refrigerant flow management, noise reduction) without requiring multiple separate external components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If multiple steel components are welded together, then the discharge cover can be formed, but the welding process increases production time and requires skilled labor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedischarge cover fabricationVSAvoidproduction time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the welding process entirely by forming the discharge cover as a single integrated component. This allows for faster manufacturing through processes like die-casting or stamping, which do not require skilled welders and can be automated, thereby significantly reducing production time and labor costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of manufacture

If welding is used to assemble components, then the discharge cover structure is created, but dimension management becomes challenging requiring skilled welders

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedischarge cover assemblyVSAvoiddimension management

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates welding and associated dimension management challenges by creating a unified discharge cover component. The single-component design ensures consistent dimensions throughout the structure without the variability introduced by welding processes, eliminating the need for skilled welders and improving manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

5Device complexity

If aluminum die-casting is used to manufacture the discharge cover, then the number of components is reduced and welding is eliminated, but noise reduction performance must be maintained or improved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of componentsVSAvoidnoise

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dividing sleeves within the aluminum die-cast discharge cover that segment the internal space into multiple discharge chambers. This segmentation creates tortuous flow paths for the refrigerant, which reduces pulsation noise while maintaining the benefits of a single-component design and eliminating welding joints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10935017B2Linear compressor

Publication Date: 2021.03.02 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

A linear compressor includes a shell, a frame in the shell, a cylinder defining a compression space, a piston in the cylinder, a motor assembly that drives the piston, a discharge cover unit defining a discharge space that receives refrigerant from the compression space, a discharge valve that selectively opens and closes the compression space, and a valve spring assembly that provides elastic force that causes the discharge valve to contact a front surface of the cylinder. The discharge cover unit includes a cover housing, the cover housing that couples the frame, a dividing sleeve that extends from an inside of the cover housing in a longitudinal direction of the shell and that divides the discharge space into discharge chambers, and a discharge cover that inserts into the inside of the cover housing and that contacts an end portion of the dividing sleeve.