Abstract:
Disclosed is an elastic member for absorbing vibration with an improved vibration absorbing performance through an improved structure, the elastic member including an hollow shape seating part with a hollow shape, the hollow shape seating part seating the driving device such as a compressor thereon and having an axial direction supporting part supporting compressive load of the driving device, and a hollow shape base having an average radius different from that of the axial direction supporting part supporting the compressive load of the driving device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. P2003-80144, filed Nov. 13, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to an elastic member for absorbing vibration and a refrigerator using the same, and more particularly, to an elastic member and a refrigerator using the same, the elastic member having an improved structure for preventing vibration from being transmitted to other parts or to a whole refrigerator, the vibration generated from a compressor of the refrigerator, so as to prevent a noise from being generated.  
         [0004]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus for storing or cooling food freshly for a long-term period by maintaining an inner space thereof at a predetermined temperature. The inner space of the refrigerator is maintained under a predetermined temperature by an operation of a compressor.  
         [0006]     A compressor compressing a refrigerant to be in a high temperature/high pressure is provided at the refrigerator for configuring the cooling cycle. Since vibration and noise are continuously generated during the operation of the compressor, a vibration isolator for absorbing the vibration is provided for decreasing the vibration and the noise generated as abovementioned.  
         [0007]     Hereinafter, a related art vibration isolator having an aforementioned function will be described referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 .  
         [0008]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the related art vibration isolator M includes an elastic member  20  supporting a compressor  10  compressing a refrigerant to be in a high pressure and discharging the compressing refrigerant, and a stand  30  for supporting the vibration isolator.  
         [0009]     In more detail, the compressor  10  is provided in a refrigerator machinery room for compressing the refrigerant, and the compressor  10  is provided at an upper portion of the vibration isolator M. The elastic member  20  is made of a material such as a rubber having great elasticity, and formed in a cylindrical form. The elastic member  20  includes a groove  21  of the compressor provided at an upper portion of the compressor for safely mounting a foot  11  of the compressor, the foot extended from the compressor, and a hollow  22  passing through in an axis direction.  
         [0010]     The stand  30  is provided passing through the hollow of the elastic member  20  in the axis direction, and a bottom thereof is fixed to a floor  1  for preventing the elastic member  20  from being separated. An insertion groove  31  is provided in a form of a ring at a predetermined lower portion of the stand  30 , a fixing projection  23  is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the elastic member corresponding to the insertion groove  31  for being inserted into the insertion groove  31  of the stand  30 , and a supporting projection  24  is projected to a center at an upper portion of the elastic member  20 .  
         [0011]     In other words, the elastic member  20  is fixed by the fixing projection  23  inserted into the insertion groove  31  and the supporting projection  24  supporting an upper portion of the outer circumferential surface of the stand  30 .  
         [0012]     Meanwhile, the compressor  10  provided at the refrigerator is a reciprocating compressor. During the operation of the compressor, about 60 Hz of frequency vibration is continuously generated and such vibration is transmitted to other parts coupled with the compressor  10  through other parts and the floor of the machinery room so as to generate noise.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a graph showing vibration transmissibility transmitted to the floor for frequency ratio (excitation frequency/natural frequency of a system).  
         [0014]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the excitation frequency of the compressor provided at the refrigerator is regular, generally. At a predetermined excitation frequency, to decrease the vibration transmissibility to be lower than 1, the frequency ratio needs to be increased by decreasing the natural frequency of the system, because resonance is generated when the frequency ratio is 1. In this case, if the natural frequency is f, the natural frequency is indicated as f=(½π)(k/m) 1/2 . In the formula, k is a coefficient indicating stiffness of the system and m is a mass of the system.  
         [0015]     However, the related art elastic member  20  supports compressive load mainly in a perpendicular direction because the part  25  of the elastic member receiving the compressive load in the perpendicular direction by the compressor  10  is on a same line (line in arrow direction of  FIG. 2 ).  
         [0016]     In other words, because the elastic member  20  mainly receives the compressive load, the elastic member has a small amount of transformation and a strong coefficient (k). Therefore the frequency ratio thereof becomes smaller and the vibration transmissibility to the floor is increased, thereby resulting a problem of increasing vibration of the refrigerator, mover over a noise.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an elastic member and a refrigerator using the same that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.  
         [0018]     An object of the present invention is to provide an elastic member for vibration absorption and a refrigerator using the same with an improved structure for minimizing a strength coefficient.  
         [0019]     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.  
         [0020]     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an elastic member for vibration absorption and a refrigerator using the same are provided, and the elastic member includes a hollow shape seating part for seating a driving device thereon and having an axial direction supporting part supporting a compressive load of the driving device, and a hollow shape base provided at a lower part of the hollow shape seating part for supporting the hollow shape seating part and having an average radius different from an average radius of the axial direction supporting part.  
         [0021]     The average radius of the base is larger than the average radius of the axial direction supporting part. More desirably, the inside diameter of the base is larger than that of the axial direction supporting part and an outside diameter of the base is larger than that of the axial direction supporting part.  
         [0022]     The hollow shape seating part comprises at least one ring shape groove provided on at least one of either an inner circumferential surface or an outer circumferential surface thereof.  
         [0023]     The elastic member further comprises an auxiliary supporter having a first end coupled with the hollow shape seating part and a second end extended toward a surface supporting the base, for preventing the elastic member from being excessively transformed.  
         [0024]     The second end of the auxiliary supporter is provided to have a predetermined distance from a surface supporting the base. In this case, thickness of the base is thicker than that of the auxiliary supporter.  
         [0025]     Owing to the elastic member configured as abovementioned, the vibration generated from the compressor is effectively decreased and therefore, the transmissibility of the vibration to a whole refrigerator is also remarkably decreased.  
         [0026]     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings;  
         [0028]      FIG. 1  illustrates a diagram of a compressor provided in a machinery room, schematically;  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a related art elastic member;  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  illustrates a graph showing vibration transmissibility to a floor according to frequency ratio;  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective view of an elastic member in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an elastic member in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view showing a transformation state of an elastic member in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0034]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0035]     A refrigerator is an apparatus for storing, cooling, or freezing food freshly. The refrigerator includes a cooling chamber and a freezer thereof, a body having a door for opening and closing the cooling chamber and the freezer, and apparatuses such as a compressor for forming a cooling cycle.  
         [0036]     The cooling cycle includes the steps of compressing a refrigerant by the compressor, condensing for discharging heat from the compressed refrigerant, expanding the refrigerant into a low pressure, the refrigerant passed through the condensing step, and evaporating the refrigerant by absorbing heat from an inside of the refrigerator.  
         [0037]     The condensing step of the cooling cycle is carried out via the compressor drawing a low-pressure refrigerant and discharging a high-pressure refrigerant. The inside of the refrigerator is maintained under a predetermined temperature by the operation of the compressor.  
         [0038]     The compressor is provided in the machinery room provided at a predetermined location of the body of the refrigerator.  
         [0039]     When the compressor is operated for configuring the cooling cycle, vibration is generated. In this case, the generated vibration is transmitted to a whole refrigerator, particularly to the floor through each part connected to the compressor, thereby generating vibration and noise.  
         [0040]     For decreasing the vibration and the noise generated during the operation of the compressor, a vibration absorption apparatus having the elastic member absorbing the vibration generated by the compressor is provided at the refrigerator.  
         [0041]     Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the vibration absorption apparatus will be described in accordance with the present invention referring to appended drawings  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6 .  
         [0042]     Referring to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6 , the vibration absorption apparatus with the elastic member includes an elastic member  200  formed in a hollow form and provided in the machinery room, and a stand  300  having a lower end fixed on a floor  100  of the machinery room and passing through the hollow of the elastic member  200 .  
         [0043]     In more detail, the elastic member  200  having a hollow passing through a central portion in an axis direction, and a ring shape horizontal plane. The elastic member  200  includes an compressor seating part  210  on which the compressor is stably seated, and a base  220  provided as an integrated part to a lower part of the compressor seating part for supporting the compressor seating part  210 .  
         [0044]     The compressor seating part  210  of the compressor includes a ring shape groove  211  provided on an upper outer circumferential surface thereof for stably providing a foot extended from a lower part of the compressor, and an axial direction supporting part  212  provided at a lower part of the groove  211  for receiving and supporting the compressive load from the compressor.  
         [0045]     In this case, the base  220  has an average radius different from an average radius of the axial direction supporting part  212 . That is, the average radius of the base  220  is provided deviated from an extended line of the compressive load applied to the axial direction supporting part  212 .  
         [0046]     The base  220  includes an upper base  221  and a lower base  222 , the upper base  221  having a first end coupled to a lower portion of the axial direction supporting part  212  and a second end extended outside thereof and horizontally provided, the lower base  222  having an upper end coupled to the second end of the base  221  and a lower end stably provided on the machinery floor  199  and perpendicularly provided.  
         [0047]     In other words, an average radius of the lower base  222  is configured to be larger than the average radius of the axial direction supporting part  212 . Accordingly, the base  220  is transformed by bending and by pressure at the same time because of the load and the vibration of the compressor. Therefore, the stiffness coefficient (k) of the elastic member  200  in accordance with the present invention is smaller than the related art elastic member.  
         [0048]     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, although the average radius of the lower base  222  is larger than that of the axial direction supporting part  212 , the average radius of the lower base can be smaller than that of the axial direction supporting part. In other words, in case that the line of the compressive load is inconsistent with the line of the average radius of the lower base, the transformation in perpendicular direction is increased and the stiffness coefficient is decreased.  
         [0049]     The elastic member  200  further comprises an auxiliary supporter  250  having an upper end coupled with an inner surface of the hollow shape elastic member  200  and a lower end extended toward a floor  100  supporting the base  220 , for preventing the elastic member  200  from being excessively transformed.  
         [0050]     In this instance, it is desirable that the auxiliary supporter  250  is provided to have a predetermined distance from the floor  100  of the machinery room and thickness of the auxiliary supporter  250  is thinner than that of the lower base  222 .  
         [0051]     Owing to the configuration abovementioned, when the compressor seating part  210  and the base  220  are transformed in a predetermined length in the perpendicular direction by the load and vibration of the compressor, the lower end of the auxiliary supporter  250  is in contact with the floor  100  of the machinery room and thus the auxiliary the elastic member is prevented from being excessively transformed by supporting the compressor load.  
         [0052]     It is desirable that the elastic member in accordance with the present invention further includes grooves  213  and  214  formed in a zigzag form on inner circumferential and outer circumferential surfaces of the compressor seating part  210  so as to have a weaker stiffness coefficient and absorb the load of the compressor at first.  
         [0053]     Needless to say, the ring shape grooves can be formed on the inner circumferential surface and outer circumferential surface of the base  220 . In other words, the hollow shape elastic member includes at least one of the ring shape groove formed in the zigzag form on the inner circumferential and outer circumferential surfaces thereof, thereby further decreasing the stiffness coefficient thereof.  
         [0054]     Meanwhile, an insertion groove  310  is provided at a predetermined location of lower part of the stand  300  provided for fixing the elastic member and a fixing projection  230  inserted into the insertion groove  310  of the stand  300  is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the elastic member.  
         [0055]     According to the elastic member in accordance with the present invention, the fixing projection  230  is provided on an inner portion of the auxiliary supporter  250 . The supporting projection  240  is projected from an upper end of the elastic member to a center thereof, thereby being in contact with upper part of the stand.  
         [0056]     In other words, the fixing projection  230  is inserted into the insertion groove  310  and the supporting projection  240  is supported by the upper outer circumferential surface of the stand  300 , thereby fixing the elastic member.  
         [0057]     A process of attenuating vibration via the elastic member in accordance with the present invention will be described as follows referring to  FIG. 6 .  
         [0058]     When the compressor is stably provided, the ring shape grooves  213  and  214  and provided on the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the elastic member absorb a static load of the compressor.  
         [0059]     When the compressor is operated, the axial direction supporting part  212  provided at a lower part of the groove  211  receives and supports the compressive load in the perpendicular direction. Accordingly, since the lower base  222  is not on a line of action of the compressive load, the elastic member  200  in accordance with the present invention supports the compressive load and bending load at the same time. Therefore, the transformation by the same load is larger than that of the related art, thereby resulting an effect of decreasing the stiffness.  
         [0060]     Accordingly, the natural frequency indicated as f=(½π)(k/m) 1/2  has smaller value of k indicating the strength coefficient and smaller natural frequency. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , when the natural frequency becomes small, the frequency ratio is increased and the vibration transmissibility to the floor is decreased, thereby attenuating the vibration and the noise.  
         [0061]     In the mean time, when transformation of more than a predetermined length is generated to the elastic member  200  by the compressor, the lower end of the auxiliary supporter  250  becomes in contact with the floor  100  of the machinery room, thereby preventing the elastic member from being excessively transformed and damaged.  
         [0062]     The abovementioned effect of the present invention configured as abovementioned is summarized as follows.  
         [0063]     First, according to the present invention, because the extended line of the compressive load applied to the compressor seating part, the compressor seating part on which the compressor is stably provided, is not on the same line of the base supporting the compressor sealing part, the transformation according to the vibration of the compressor becomes larger, thereby decreasing the stiffness coefficient and the vibration and the noise generated from the refrigerator.  
         [0064]     Second, according to the present invention, the auxiliary supporter is provided so as to prevent the elastic member from being excessively transformed and damaged.  
         [0065]     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.