Linear Compressor Piston Flexible Coupling Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Linear compressors face efficiency issues due to friction between the piston and the cylinder wall, and maintaining a uniform air gap between the magnet and the driving coil is challenging, leading to suboptimal performance.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a piston slidably received within a cylinder assembly with a flexible coupling using a wire and a column to reduce friction and maintain a single air gap between the magnet and the driving coil, ensuring efficient operation by minimizing side pull forces and maintaining magnetic field integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a piston is used in a linear compressor, then refrigerant compression is achieved, but friction between the piston and cylinder wall reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the piston component entirely from the linear compressor design. Instead of using a traditional piston that slides within a cylinder, the invention uses a diaphragm that flexes to compress the refrigerant, thereby eliminating the source of friction losses while maintaining compression functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical sliding piston system with a flexible diaphragm system actuated by a linear motor. This substitution eliminates direct mechanical contact and friction between moving parts, using elastic deformation of the diaphragm instead of sliding friction for refrigerant compression.
2Ease of operation
If multiple air gaps are provided in the linear compressor, then magnetic field transmission is interrupted, but maintaining uniform air gap is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the magnetic circuit components to eliminate unnecessary air gaps. By integrating the magnet assembly with the diaphragm and housing, the design reduces multiple air gaps to a single minimized gap, improving magnetic field transmission while simplifying the uniformity requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates preliminary positioning features and pre-assembled magnetic components that ensure proper alignment and consistent air gap before final assembly. This preliminary action reduces the difficulty of maintaining uniform air gaps during manufacturing and operation.
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
This configuration reduces friction losses and maintains a uniform air gap, enhancing the efficiency and performance of the linear compressor by ensuring consistent magnetic field transmission and reduced side pull forces.
Implementation Method 1
The driving coil receives a current that generates a force for sliding the piston forward and backward within a chamber
Implementation Method 2
During motion of the piston within the chamber, the piston compresses refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A linear compressor is provided. The linear compressor includes a piston slidably received within a chamber of a cylinder assembly and a mover positioned in a driving coil. The linear compressor also includes features for coupling the piston to the mover such that motion of the mover is transferred to the piston during operation of the driving coil and for reducing friction between the piston and the cylinder during motion of the piston within the chamber of the cylinder.