Patent Publication Number: US-2005142014-A1

Title: Compressor with vibration reducing apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a compressor, and more particularly, to a compressor with a vibration reducing apparatus for reducing a vibration due to gas discharge.  
      2. Description of the Conventional Art  
      Generally, a compressor is a device for sucking, compressing, and discharging gas accordingly as a piston reciprocates in a cylinder.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the conventional compressor comprises: a casing  10  to which a suction pipe  12  and a discharge pipe  14  are respectively connected; a reciprocating motor  30  disposed in the casing  10 , for generating a driving force; a compressing unit  40  for sucking, compressing, and discharging gas by a driving force of the reciprocating motor  30 ; a spring unit  50  for inducing a resonant motion to a reciprocation of the reciprocating motor  30 ; and a frame unit  20  for respectively supporting the reciprocating motor  30 , the compressing unit  40 , and the spring unit  50 .  
      The reciprocating motor  30  includes: an outer stator  31 ; an inner stator  32  disposed to maintain a certain air gap with an inner circumference of the outer stator  31 ; a magnet  34  disposed between the outer stator  31  and the inner stator  32 ; and a magnet holder  33  connected to the magnet  34  and reciprocated by an electromagnetic reciprocation between the outer/inner stators  31 / 32  and the magnet  34 .  
      The compressing unit  40  includes: a cylinder  41  having an inner space therein; a piston  42  disposed in the cylinder  41 , having a gas suction path F, and reciprocated by being connected to the magnet holder  33  of the reciprocating motor  30 , for varying a volume of a compressing space P inside the cylinder  41 ; a suction valve  43  mounted at a front side of the piston  42  and operated by a pressure inside the compressing space P, for opening and closing a gas inlet; a discharge valve  44  installed at a front side of the cylinder  41 , for opening and closing a gas outlet; a valve spring  45  for elastically supporting the discharge valve  44 ; and a discharge cover  46  communicated to the discharge pipe  14  through a guiding pipe  16 , for covering the discharge side of the cylinder  41  by receiving the discharge valve  44  and the valve spring  45  therein.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the discharge cover  46  includes: an inner cover  48  mounted at the front side of the cylinder  41  thus to provide a first discharge chamber S 1  therein and having a plurality of discharge holes  47  at a circumference thereof; and an outer cover  49  mounted at an outer side of the inner cover  48  thus to provide a second discharge chamber S 2  therein and connected to the guiding pipe  16 .  
      The frame unit  20  includes: a first frame  21  mounted at the front side of the reciprocating motor  30  and the cylinder  41 ; a second frame  22  connected to the first frame  21 , for supporting the reciprocating motor  30  with the first frame  21 ; and a third frame  23  connected to the second frame  22 , for supporting the spring unit  50  with the second frame  22 .  
      The spring unit  50  is composed of a front spring  51  disposed between a connection portion where the magnet holder  33  and the piston  42  are coupled with each other and the first frame  21 ; and a rear spring  52  disposed between the connection portion and the third frame  23 . The spring unit  50  induces a resonant motion to a linear reciprocation of the piston  42  and the magnet holder  33 .  
      In the conventional compressor, when a power is applied to the outer stator  31  of the reciprocating motor  30 , the magnet holder  33  reciprocates by an electromagnetic interaction among the outer stator  31 , the inner stator  32 , and the magnet  34 . According to this, the piston  42  connected to the magnet holder  33  reciprocates in the cylinder  41  thus to change a volume of the compressing space P. By the volume change of the compressing space P, gas is sucked to the compressing space P, compressed, which is repeated. Since the resonant motion is induced to the linear motion of the piston  42  by the front and rear springs  51  and  52 , the piston  42  is smoothly and continuously reciprocated.  
      However, in the conventional compressor, vibration and noise are generated by a pressure of discharged gas. Also, high frequency vibration and noise are generated accordingly as the discharge valve  44  collides with the front end surface of the cylinder  41 . The high frequency vibration is attenuated by the guiding pipe  16  in some degree. However, a part of the high frequency vibration is not attenuated but is transmitted to the casing  10  through the discharge pipe  14  thus to cause vibration and noise of the entire system of the compressor.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a compressor capable of reducing vibration and noise due to discharge gas and enhancing a capability thereof by providing a vibration reducing apparatus for reducing vibration transmitted to a flow path through which compressed gas is discharged.  
      To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a compressor comprising: a reciprocating motor disposed within a casing, for generating a driving force; a compressing unit for sucking gas, compressing, and discharging by a driving force of the reciprocating motor; and a vibration reducing apparatus installed on a flow path through which compressed gas is discharged from the compressing unit, for reducing vibration of the flow path due to the gas discharge.  
      The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
      In the drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing a compressor in accordance with the conventional art;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing a discharge cover provided at the compressor in accordance with the conventional art;  
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing a compressor according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view showing a vibration reducing apparatus provided at the compressor according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing a part of the compressor and the vibration reducing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view showing a part of a compressor and a vibration reducing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view showing a part of a compressor and a vibration reducing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view showing a vibration reducing apparatus provided at a compressor according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
      Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.  
     First Embodiment  
      As shown in  FIG. 3 , the compressor according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises: a casing  10  installed with a suction pipe  12  through which gas is sucked and a discharge pipe  14  through which compressed gas is discharged; a reciprocating motor  30  disposed in the casing  10 , for generating a driving force; a compressing unit  100  for sucking, compressing, and discharging gas by the driving force of the reciprocating motor  30 ; a spring unit  50  for inducing a resonant motion to a reciprocation of the reciprocating motor  30 ; and a frame unit  20  for respectively supporting the reciprocating motor  30 , the compressing unit  100  and the spring unit  50 ; and a vibration reducing apparatus  170  installed on a flow path through which compressed gas is discharged from the compressing unit, for reducing vibration of the flow path due to the gas discharge.  
      The reciprocating motor  30  includes: an outer stator  31 ; an inner stator  32  disposed to maintain a certain air gap with an inner circumference of the outer stator  31 ; a magnet  34  disposed between the outer stator  31  and the inner stator  32 ; and a magnet holder  33  connected to the magnet  34  and reciprocated by an electromagnetic reciprocation between the outer/inner stators  31 / 32  and the magnet  34 .  
      The compressing unit  100  includes: a cylinder  110  having an inner space; a piston  120  inserted into the cylinder  110 , having a gas suction channel F therein, and reciprocated by being connected to the magnet holder  33  of the reciprocating motor  30 , for varying a capacity of a compressing space P inside the cylinder  100 ; a suction valve  130  mounted at the front side of the piston  120  (hereinafter, the rear side denotes a gas suction side and the front side denotes a gas discharge side on the basis of the piston  120 ) and operated by a pressure inside the compressing space P, for opening and closing a gas inlet; a discharge valve  140  installed at the front side of the cylinder  110  for opening and closing a gas outlet; a valve spring  150  for elastically supporting the discharge valve  140 ; and a discharge cover  160  connected to the discharge pipe  14  through a guiding pipe  16  and accommodating the discharge valve  140  and the valve spring  150  therein.  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , the discharge cover  160  includes: an inner cover  161  mounted at a front side of the cylinder  110  thus to provide a first discharge chamber S 1  therein and having a plurality of discharge holes  163  at a circumference thereof; and an outer cover  162  mounted at an outer side of the inner cover  161  thus to provide a second discharge chamber S 2  therein and connected to the guiding pipe  16 .  
      The frame unit  20  includes: a first frame  21  mounted at a front side of the reciprocating motor  30  and the cylinder  110 ; a second frame  22  connected to the first frame  21  for supporting the reciprocating motor  30  with the first frame  21 ; and a third frame  23  connected to the second frame  22  for supporting the spring unit  50  with the second frame  22 .  
      The spring unit  50  is composed of a front spring  51  disposed between a connection portion where the magnet holder  33  and the piston  120  are coupled with each other and the first frame  21 ; and a rear spring  52  disposed between the connection portion and the third frame  23 . The spring unit  50  induces a resonant motion to a linear reciprocation of the piston  120  and the magnet holder  33 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 5 , the vibration reducing apparatus  170  comprises a vibration absorbing chamber  172  formed to be separated from the second discharge chamber S 2  of the outer cover  162  by a partition wall  176  and having a hermetic space  178  therein, the hermetic space  178  through which the guiding pipe  16  is penetrated; and a plurality of particles  174  filled in the vibration absorbing chamber  172 .  
      The vibration absorbing chamber  172  is integrally formed with the outer cover  162  at the time of fabrication, or the vibration absorbing chamber  172  can be coupled to the outer cover  162  after being separately fabricated.  
      The particles  174  are formed of minute steel, tungsten carbide, granite, sand, small plastic, or etc. The particles  174  are preferably formed as a spherical shape in order to effectively reduce the vibration of the guiding pipe  16 . The plurality of particles  174  attenuate vibration generated at the time of the operation of the compressor such as vibration due to the gas discharge or vibration generated when the discharge valve collides to the cylinder, by colliding with the inner wall of the vibration absorbing chamber  172  and the guiding pipe  16  or by colliding with each other and thereby generating a friction. A large amount of the particles  174  are preferably filled in the vibration absorbing chamber  172  in order to surround the outer circumference of the guiding pipe  16  and thereby to absorb vibration.  
      Operation and effect of the compressor according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be explained as follows. When a power is applied to the outer stator  31  of the reciprocating motor  30 , the magnet holder  33  is linearly reciprocated by an electromagnetic interaction among the outer stator  31 , the inner stator  32  and the magnet  34 . According to this, the piston  120  connected to the magnet holder  33  is linearly reciprocated inside the cylinder  110  thus to vary the volume of the compressing space P. By the volume change of the compressing space P, gas is sucked into the compressing space P and compressed. The compressed gas is discharged into the first discharge chamber S 1  of the inner cover  161  with pushing the discharge valve  140 . Then, the compressed gas is discharged to the second discharge chamber S 2  of the outer cover  162  through the discharge holes  163 , and is discharged to outside of the casing  10  through the guiding pipe  16  and the discharge pipe  14 . Said processes are repeated thus to compress gas.  
      When gas is discharged, the discharge valve  140  is spaced from the cylinder  110  thus to be open and closed, thereby causing high frequency vibration due to a strong impact. The high frequency vibration is transmitted to the second discharge chamber S 2  of the outer cover  162  through the inner cover  161 , and then is transmitted to the guiding pipe  16 . At this time, the particles  174  surrounding the guiding pipe  16  are fluctuated by the high frequency vibration transmitted through the guiding pipe  16 , and thus collide with the guiding pipe  16  or collide with each other, thereby attenuating the high frequency vibration. Also, while compressed gas passes through the first discharge chamber S 1  and the second discharge chamber S 2  provided at the inner cover  161  and the outer cover  162 , the noise is effectively removed.  
      The compressor according to the first embodiment of the present invention is provided with the vibration reducing apparatus on the flow path through which compressed gas flows thus to prevent vibration generated by the gas discharge from being transmitted to the channel, thereby reducing vibration and noise of the compressor and enhancing the function of the compressor.  
     Second Embodiment  
      Hereinafter, the compressor according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to  FIG. 6 . The same reference numerals were given to the same parts as those of the first embodiment, thereby omitting explanations.  
      In the compressor according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a vibration reducing apparatus  270  for preventing vibration generated by gas discharge from being transmitted to the guiding pipe  16  comprises a vibration absorbing chamber  272  connected to the guiding pipe  16  and disposed outside a discharge cover  260  which is mounted at a front side of the cylinder  110  thus to provide a discharge chamber S, thereby providing a space therein with the discharge cover  260 ; and a plurality of particles  274  filled in the vibration absorbing chamber  272 . An installation and a construction of the vibration reducing apparatus  270  can be simplified by installing the vibration absorbing chamber  272  to cover the discharge cover  260 .  
      Operation and effect of the compressor according to the second embodiment of the present invention are same as those according to the first embodiment.  
     Third Embodiment  
      Hereinafter, the compressor according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to  FIG. 7 . The same reference numerals were given to the same parts as those of the second embodiment, thereby omitting explanations.  
      In the compressor according to the third embodiment of the present invention, a vibration reducing apparatus  370  for preventing vibration generated by gas discharge from being transmitted to the guiding pipe  16  comprises: a vibration absorbing chamber  372  installed to cover an outer circumference of the guiding pipe  16  for guiding compressed gas discharged from the discharge cover  160  to the discharge pipe  14  and having a hermetic space therein; and a plurality of particles  374  filled in the vibration absorbing chamber  372 . The vibration reducing apparatus  370  attenuates high frequency vibration that passes through the guiding pipe  16 , and thereby prevents the high frequency vibration from being transmitted to outside.  
      Operation and effect of the compressor according to the third embodiment of the present invention are same as those according to the aforementioned embodiments.  
     Fourth Embodiment  
      Hereinafter, the compressor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to  FIG. 8 . The same reference numerals were given to the same parts as those of the aforementioned embodiments, thereby omitting explanations.  
      In the compressor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, a vibration reducing apparatus  470  for preventing vibration generated by discharge gas from being transmitted to the casing  10  and the external system of the compressor through the guiding pipe  16  and the discharge pipe  14  is installed at the discharge pipe  14 . That is, the vibration reducing apparatus  470  comprises a vibration absorbing chamber  472  fixed to the casing  10  to surround an outer circumference of the discharge pipe  14  and having a hermetic space therein; and a plurality of particles  474  filled in the vibration absorbing chamber  472 . The vibration reducing apparatus  470  attenuates high frequency vibration accordingly as the particles  474  inside the vibration absorbing chamber  472  are fluctuated by the high frequency vibration transmitted to the discharge pipe  14  through the guiding pipe  16  thus to collide with the discharge pipe  14  or particles collide with each other thus to generate a frictional force. According to this, vibration generated by discharge gas and vibration generated by an operation of the discharge valve are prevented from being transmitted to the guiding pipe  16 , the discharge pipe  14 , and the casing  10 .  
      Operation and effect of the compressor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention are same as those according to the aforementioned embodiments.  
      As aforementioned, in the compressor according to the present invention, the vibration reducing apparatus for reducing vibration generated by discharge gas is provided on the flow path of compressed gas, thereby preventing vibration of the compressor or the entire system to which the compressor is applied. The vibration reducing apparatus explained in each embodiment of the present invention can be independently applied to the compressor, or can be applied thereto by being combined one another. Also, the vibration reducing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the reciprocating compressor that the piston is linearly reciprocated, but can be applied to various compressors.  
      As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.