Linear Compressor Gas Bearing and Plate Spring Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing linear compressor has a large volume, making it unsuitable for refrigerators that require increased inner storage space, and increasing the drive frequency to reduce size leads to increased friction and performance deterioration due to oil circulation.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a gas bearing system using refrigerant as a lubricant, eliminating the need for oil, and features a discharge valve with a plate spring and stopper to reduce abrasion and friction, along with filters to remove foreign substances and oil, allowing for a smaller compressor size and higher drive frequency without performance deterioration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the drive frequency of the linear compressor is increased to reduce its size, then the volume of the compressor is reduced, but the friction force due to oil circulating in the linear compressor increases, deteriorating performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the oil circulation system from the linear compressor, extracting the harmful lubricant that causes friction. The compressor operates without oil, eliminating the friction force that would deteriorate performance at high drive frequencies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical oil lubrication system with a different approach - operating the piston-cylinder interface without liquid lubricant. This substitution allows the compressor to achieve low friction through alternative means, enabling high-speed operation.
2Volume of moving object
If the size of the linear compressor is reduced to increase refrigerator storage space, then the inner storage space of the refrigerator is increased, but the friction force due to oil circulation increases, deteriorating compressor performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the oil circulation system from the compressor design, removing the source of friction that would compromise reliability. This allows the compact compressor to maintain high performance despite its reduced size.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressor is designed to operate without external lubrication systems. The piston and cylinder interface is engineered to function reliably without oil, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the reliability issues associated with oil circulation in compact designs.
3Ease of manufacture
If a coil spring is used for the discharge valve spring, then the discharge valve may rotate with respect to the coil spring, but this causes abrasion of the discharge valve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the coil spring mechanism with a plate spring configuration. This substitution eliminates the rotational movement between the discharge valve and spring, preventing abrasion while maintaining the necessary spring function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical form of the spring from a coiled structure to a plate structure. This parameter change in the spring geometry fundamentally alters the interaction mechanism with the discharge valve, eliminating harmful rotational abrasion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the compressor's volume, increases storage space, minimizes friction and abrasion, and maintains performance by using a gas bearing system and advanced filtration, while stabilizing the discharge valve operation and reducing noise.
Implementation Method 1
a gas bearing system using refrigerant as a lubricant
Implementation Method 2
a discharge valve with a plate spring and stopper
Data Source
AI summary
A linear compressor is provided that may include a shell in which a discharge port is provided, a cylinder disposed in the shell to define a compression space for a refrigerant, a piston disposed to be reciprocated in an axial direction within the cylinder, a discharge valve disposed on or at one side of the cylinder to selectively discharge the refrigerant compressed in the compression space, the discharge valve including an insertion protrusion, and a valve spring coupled to the discharge valve to provide a restoring force to the discharge valve. The valve spring may include a spring body having a central portion defined at a portion corresponding to a center of the cylinder, and an insertion hole defined in the spring body. The insertion hole may be coupled to the insertion protrusion of the discharge valve. The central portion of the spring body may be spaced apart from a central portion of the insertion hole.