Patent Description:
In general, a hermetic compressor is a compressor that includes a motor that generates power inside of an airtight container and a compression unit operating by receiving power from the motor.

The hermetic compressor may be classified into a reciprocating type, a rotary type, a vane type, or a scroll type, for example, according to a method of compressing a refrigerant, which is a compressible fluid.

The reciprocating compressor is a type in which a crankshaft is coupled to a rotor of a motor, a connecting rod is coupled to the crankshaft, and a piston coupled to the connecting rod compresses refrigerant while linearly reciprocating inside of a cylinder.

The reciprocating compressor includes an airtight container forming an airtight space, a motor provided in the airtight container and performing rotational motion, a compression unit installed on an upper side of the motor and receiving a rotational force of the motor and compressing the refrigerant, a suction part that suctions the refrigerant and supplies it to the compression unit, and a discharge part that discharges the refrigerant compressed in the compression unit.

The discharge part includes a discharge muffler that attenuates discharge noise of the refrigerant discharged, a discharge pipe fixed to the airtight container and made of metal, and a discharge hose made of a metal material and connecting the discharge muffler and the discharge pipe.

However, when the discharge hose is made of the metal material, there is a problem in that vibration of the compressor body is transmitted to the airtight container through the discharge hose.

As a method for solving this problem, conventionally, it has been proposed a method of forming the discharge hose with a flexible material.

However, as a vibration frequency of the compressor body increases when the reciprocating compressor is miniaturized, there is a limit to reducing the vibration of the airtight container even if the discharge hose is made of the flexible material.

A miniaturized compressor, that is, a micro-compressor may be referred to as a compressor having at least one of width, depth, and height of <NUM> or less based on a size of an airtight container.

As another method for solving the above problem, it has been proposed a method of reducing a diameter of the discharge hose made of metal in the related art.

However, in this case, there is a limitation in forming a thin discharge hose through which a high-pressure discharge gas flows, so the diameter of the discharge hose must be reduced as a method of reducing the inner diameter of the discharge hose.

Therefore, as clogging of the discharge gas occurs during high-speed operation of the compressor, there is a problem in that a cooling capacity cannot be effectively increased as much as the speed of the compressor is increased.

That the compressor is operated at high speed means that an operating speed of the compressor is <NUM> rps or more.

Examples of the prior art are disclosed in the patent applications <CIT> and <CIT>.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a reciprocating compressor capable of effectively reducing transmission of vibration generated in a compressor body to an airtight container.

It is an object of the present disclosure to further provide a micro-reciprocating compressor capable of suppressing or preventing clogging of discharge gas even during high-speed operation.

It is an object of the present disclosure to furthermore provide a micro-reciprocating compressor capable of increasing cooling capacity in proportion to an increase in operating speed of the compressor.

The technical problems to be achieved from embodiments are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problem which are not mentioned above can be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

The object is solved by the independent claims.

A reciprocating compressor according to embodiments disclosed herein may include an airtight container forming an airtight space; a discharge pipe coupled to the airtight container; a motor having a stator and a rotor and installed inside of the airtight container to generate a rotational force; a compression unit having a connecting rod that converts the rotational force of the motor into a linear drive force, a piston connected to the connecting rod, and a cylinder into which the piston is movably inserted, and that compresses a refrigerant; a discharge muffler that attenuates discharge noise of a discharge gas discharged after being compressed in the cylinder; and two or more discharge hoses that connect the discharge muffler and the discharge pipe.

As the reciprocating compressor of embodiments disclosed herein connects two or more discharge hoses to the discharge muffler, it can be said to have a discharge hose having a multi-hose structure.

As the reciprocating compressor of embodiments disclosed herein has a discharge hose <NUM> having a multi-hose structure, while a rigidity is reduced by reducing the inner diameter of the discharge hose, clogging of the discharge gas during high-speed operation may be suppressed or prevented and pulsation may be effectively reduced.

The two or more discharge hoses each may be made of a flexible material.

According to this configuration, clogging and pulsation of the discharge gas may be more effectively reduced.

A first connector may be connected to the discharge pipe, and the two or more discharge hoses each may be connected to the first connector.

According to this configuration, it is possible to effectively reduce clogging and pulsation of the discharge gas while maintaining a same total cross-sectional area of the passage formed by the discharge hose as in the related art.

The two or more discharge hoses may have different inner diameters, the same inner diameter, or different lengths.

According to this configuration, the inner diameter and/or length of each discharge hose may be adjusted in consideration of the connection positions of the different discharge hoses connected to the discharge muffler.

At least one of the two or more discharge hoses may have an inlet and an outlet having different inner diameters, or inner diameters of an inlet and an outlet of each of the two or more discharge hoses may be identical to each other.

According to this configuration, two or more discharge hoses may be effectively installed in spaces of various sizes formed inside of the airtight container of the reciprocating compressor.

The discharge muffler may include a muffler body and a muffler cover coupled to each other to form an internal space, and a plurality of partition walls positioned in the internal space and that partition the internal space into a plurality of attenuation spaces.

According to this configuration, as the discharge muffler may increase a discharge path of gas and/or refrigerant compared to the case in which the partition wall is not provided, noise generated during operation of the compressor may be effectively attenuated.

The two or more discharge hoses may include at least one main hose connected to a last attenuation space positioned last along a flow direction of the discharge gas among the plurality of attenuation spaces.

The main hose may mean a hose having a larger inner diameter and/or diameter than other hoses.

According to this configuration, as the discharge gas flows into the main hose after passing through all of the plurality of attenuation spaces, noise generated during operation of the compressor may be effectively attenuated.

For example, one main hose may be coupled to the last attenuation space, and the two or more discharge hoses may further include at least one auxiliary hose connected to other attenuation spaces other than the last attenuation space.

The auxiliary hose may mean a hose having an inner diameter and/or diameter smaller than the inner diameter and/or diameter of the main hose.

According to this configuration, as at least one auxiliary hose is connected to another attenuation space positioned before the last attenuation space on the gas and/or refrigerant flow path, the gas and/or refrigerant whose noise is less attenuated than the gas and/or refrigerant flowing to the last attenuation space flows into the discharge pipe through at least one auxiliary hose.

Accordingly, gas and/or refrigerant may be smoothly discharged without significantly affecting noise generation.

As another example, one main hose may be coupled to the last attenuation space, and the two or more discharge hoses may further include at least two auxiliary hoses connected to a second connector coupled to the one main hose.

The at least two auxiliary hoses may be formed with an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the main hose.

According to this configuration, the coupling operation may be easily performed while increasing the number of auxiliary hoses.

As another example, two or more discharge hoses each may be connected to a last attenuation space positioned last along a flow direction of the discharge gas among a plurality of attenuation spaces, and formed of a main hose formed with the same inner diameter.

According to this configuration, gas and/or refrigerant may be more smoothly discharged than when an auxiliary hose is provided.

In this way, the two or more discharge hoses include at least one main hose and at least one auxiliary hose, or at least two main hoses, so that a total cross-sectional area of the discharge gas discharge passage formed by the discharge hose may be formed equal to or larger than the related art.

Accordingly, it is possible to effectively suppress or prevent clogging and increase in pulsation of the discharge gas, which may occur during high-speed operation of the compressor.

When the discharge muffler includes first to third attenuation spaces partitioned by two partition walls, the two or more discharge hoses may include at least one main hose connected to the third attenuation space positioned last along a flow direction of the discharge gas among the first to third attenuation spaces.

In this case, at least one main hose may be coupled to the third attenuation space, at least one first auxiliary hose may be coupled to the first attenuation space spaced apart from the third attenuation space, and a second auxiliary hose may be coupled to the second attenuation space positioned between the first attenuation space and the third attenuation space.

In addition, the first auxiliary hose and the second auxiliary hose each are formed with an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the main hose.

The first auxiliary hose may be formed with an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the second auxiliary hose, or a same inner diameter as the inner diameter of the second auxiliary hose.

According to this configuration, it is possible to adjust the inner diameter and/or length of each discharge hose in consideration of the connection positions of the different discharge hoses connected to the discharge muffler.

According to the reciprocating compressor according to embodiments disclosed herein, as the rigidity of the discharge hose may be effectively reduced, vibration generated in the compressor body may be effectively reduced from being transmitted to the airtight container, and an increase in vibration of the airtight container due to an increase in rigidity of the discharge hose may be effectively suppressed.

Further, as it is possible to effectively suppress or prevent clogging of the discharge gas during high-speed operation of the reciprocating compressor, the cooling capacity may be increased in proportion to the increase in operating speed of the compressor.

Furthermore, an overall pulsation of the reciprocating compressor may be effectively reduced.

Advantages obtainable from embodiments disclosed herein are not limited by the advantages mentioned above, and other advantages which are not mentioned above may be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments pertain.

The accompanying drawings, which are included as a part of the detailed description to help the understanding of the present disclosure, provide embodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the detailed description, describe the technical features of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, regardless of the reference numerals, the same or similar components will be given the same reference numerals and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

The suffixes "assembly" and "unit" for elements used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves.

In addition, in describing embodiments, when it is determined that description of the related known technology may obscure the subject matter of the embodiments, description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easily understanding the embodiments disclosed herein, the technical concept disclosed is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood that the accompanying drawings include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the scope of the present disclosure.

While terms, such as "first", "second", etc., may be used to describe various elements, such elements must not be limited by the above terms. The above terms are used only to distinguish one element from another.

When an element is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly coupled to or connected to the other element, however, it should be understood that other elements may exist in the middle.

On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly assembled" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in the middle.

The singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In addition, in embodiments, it should be understood that the terms "comprise" and "have" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, a reciprocating compressor according to an embodiment disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a reciprocating compressor according to an embodiment. <FIG> is an exploded perspective view of a reciprocating compressor according to an embodiment. <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of a reciprocating compressor according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, a reciprocating compressor <NUM> according to an embodiment may include an airtight container <NUM> forming an exterior, a motor <NUM> provided in an inner space of the airtight container <NUM> and providing a drive force, a compression unit <NUM> that receives the drive force from the motor <NUM> and compresses a refrigerant through linear reciprocating motion, and a suction/discharge unit <NUM> that suctions the refrigerant for refrigerant compression of the compression unit <NUM> and discharges the refrigerant compressed from the compression unit <NUM>.

The airtight container <NUM> forms an airtight space therein, and accommodates various components of the compressor <NUM> within this airtight space. The airtight container <NUM> is made of a metal material and includes a lower airtight container <NUM> and an upper airtight container <NUM>.

The lower airtight container <NUM> has a substantially hemispherical shape, and forms an accommodation space that accommodates various components forming the motor <NUM>, the compression unit <NUM>, the discharge unit <NUM>, and the compressor <NUM> with the upper airtight container <NUM>.

The lower airtight container <NUM> may be referred to as a "compressor body" and the upper airtight container <NUM> may be referred to as a "compressor cover".

The lower airtight container <NUM> may include a suction pipe <NUM>, a discharge pipe <NUM>, a process pipe <NUM>, and a power supply unit (not shown).

A refrigerant flows into the airtight container <NUM> through the suction pipe <NUM>, which is mounted through the lower airtight container <NUM>.

The suction pipe <NUM> may be separately mounted on the lower airtight container <NUM> or formed integrally with the lower airtight container <NUM>.

The discharge pipe <NUM> discharges the refrigerant compressed in the airtight container <NUM> and may be mounted through the lower airtight container <NUM>.

The discharge pipe <NUM> may also be mounted separately to the lower airtight container <NUM> or formed integrally with the lower airtight container <NUM>.

A discharge hose <NUM> of the suction/discharge unit <NUM> described hereinafter may be connected to the discharge pipe <NUM>. The refrigerant flowing into the suction pipe <NUM> and compressed through the compression unit <NUM> may be discharged to the discharge pipe <NUM> via the discharge hose <NUM> of the suction/discharge unit <NUM>.

The process pipe <NUM> is a device provided to charge a refrigerant into the airtight container <NUM> after sealing the inside of the airtight container <NUM>, and may be mounted through the lower airtight container <NUM> together with the suction pipe <NUM> and the discharge pipe <NUM>.

The upper airtight container <NUM> forms an accommodation space together with the lower airtight container <NUM>, and may be formed in a substantially hemispherical shape like the lower airtight container <NUM>. The upper airtight container <NUM> packages the lower airtight container <NUM> on an upper side of the lower airtight container <NUM> to form an airtight space therein.

The motor <NUM> may include stators <NUM> and <NUM>, an insulator <NUM>, a rotor <NUM>, and a rotational shaft <NUM>.

The stators <NUM> and <NUM> are fixed components during driving of the motor <NUM>, and may include a stator core <NUM> and a stator coil <NUM>.

The stator core <NUM> is made of a metal material and may have a substantially cylindrical shape having an inner hollow.

The stator coil <NUM> is mounted inside of the stator core <NUM>. When power is applied from the outside, the stator coil <NUM> generates electromagnetic force to perform electromagnetic interaction with the stator core <NUM> and the rotor <NUM>. Through this, the motor <NUM> may generate a drive force for reciprocating motion of the compression unit <NUM>.

The insulator <NUM> may be disposed between the stator core <NUM> and the stator coil <NUM>, and prevents direct contact between the stator core <NUM> and the stator coil <NUM>.

When the stator coil <NUM> is in direct contact with the stator core <NUM>, as generation of electromagnetic force from the stator coil <NUM> may be hindered, this is to be prevented.

The insulator <NUM> may separate the stator core <NUM> and the stator coil <NUM> by a predetermined distance from each other.

The rotor <NUM> may be rotatably provided inside of the stator coil <NUM> and may be installed in the insulator <NUM>. The rotor <NUM> is provided with a magnet.

The rotor <NUM> rotates through electromagnetic interaction with the stator core <NUM> and the stator coil <NUM> when power is supplied from the outside.

A rotational force according to rotation of the rotor <NUM> acts as a drive force capable of driving the compression unit <NUM>.

The rotational shaft <NUM> may be installed in the rotor <NUM>, mounted to pass through the rotor <NUM> in a vertical direction, and rotate together with the rotor <NUM>. Also, the rotational shaft <NUM> may be connected to a connecting rod <NUM> described hereinafter, and transmit the rotational force generated from the rotor <NUM> to the compression unit <NUM>.

The rotational shaft <NUM> may include a base shaft <NUM>, a rotational plate <NUM>, and an eccentric shaft <NUM>.

The base shaft <NUM> may be mounted in the rotor <NUM> in an upward and downward direction (Z-axis direction) or in the vertical direction. When the rotor <NUM> rotates, the base shaft <NUM> may rotate together with the rotor <NUM>.

The rotational plate <NUM> may be installed on one side of the base shaft <NUM>, and may be rotatably mounted on a rotational plate seating part or seat <NUM> of a cylinder block <NUM>.

The eccentric shaft <NUM> may protrude upward from an upper surface of the rotational plate <NUM>.

More specifically, the eccentric shaft <NUM> may protrude from the rotational plate <NUM> at an eccentric position from an axial center of the base shaft <NUM>, and rotate eccentrically when the rotational plate <NUM> rotates.

The connecting rod <NUM> may be mounted on the eccentric shaft <NUM>. According to an eccentric rotation of the eccentric shaft <NUM>, the connecting rod <NUM> linearly reciprocates in a frontward-backward direction (X-axis direction).

The compression unit <NUM> may include the cylinder block <NUM>, the connecting rod <NUM>, a piston <NUM>, and a piston pin <NUM>.

The cylinder block <NUM> may be provided on the rotor <NUM>, more specifically, an upper side of the motor <NUM>, and may be mounted inside of the airtight container <NUM>. The cylinder block <NUM> may include the rotational plate seating part <NUM> and a cylinder <NUM>.

The rotational plate seating part <NUM> may be formed at a bottom of the cylinder block <NUM> and rotatably accommodate the rotational plate <NUM>. A shaft opening <NUM> through which the rotational shaft <NUM> may pass may be formed in the rotational plate seating part <NUM>.

The cylinder <NUM> may be provided at the front of the cylinder block <NUM> and may be arranged to accommodate the piston <NUM> described hereinafter. The piston <NUM> reciprocate in the frontward-backward direction (X-axis direction), and a compression space C capable of compressing the refrigerant is formed inside of the cylinder <NUM>.

The cylinder <NUM> may be made of an aluminum material. For example, the cylinder <NUM> may be made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

Magnetic flux generated from the rotor <NUM> is not transmitted to the cylinder <NUM> due to the non-magnetic aluminum material. Accordingly, as magnetic flux generated in the rotor <NUM> is not transmitted to the cylinder <NUM>, it may be prevented from leaking outside of the cylinder <NUM>.

The connecting rod <NUM> is a device that transmits the drive force provided from the motor <NUM> to the piston <NUM>, and converts the rotational motion of the rotational shaft <NUM> into linear reciprocating motion.

When the rotational shaft <NUM> rotates, the connecting rod <NUM> linearly reciprocates in the frontward-backward direction (X-axis direction). The connecting rod <NUM> may be made of a sintered alloy material, for example.

The piston <NUM> is a device that compresses the refrigerant, and is accommodated in the cylinder <NUM> so as to be able to reciprocate in the frontward-backward direction (X-axis direction). The piston <NUM> may be connected to the connecting rod <NUM>. The piston <NUM> linearly reciprocates within the cylinder <NUM> according to the movement of the connecting rod <NUM>. As the piston <NUM> reciprocates, the refrigerant flowing from the suction pipe <NUM> may be compressed in the cylinder <NUM>.

The piston <NUM>, like the cylinder <NUM>, may be made of an aluminum material, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent magnetic flux generated from the rotor <NUM> from leaking outside through the piston <NUM>.

In addition, the piston <NUM> may be made of the same material as the cylinder <NUM> and have substantially a same coefficient of thermal expansion as the cylinder <NUM>.

As they have almost the same coefficient of thermal expansion, when the compressor <NUM> is driven, the piston <NUM> is thermally deformed by an amount substantially equal to that of the cylinder <NUM> in the internal environment of the airtight container <NUM> at a high temperature (typically, about <NUM> ° C). Accordingly, when the piston <NUM> reciprocates within the cylinder <NUM>, interference between the piston <NUM> and the cylinder <NUM> may be prevented from occurring.

The piston pin <NUM> couples the piston <NUM> and the connecting rod <NUM>. That is, the piston pin <NUM> connects the piston <NUM> and the connecting rod <NUM> by penetrating the piston <NUM> and the connecting rod <NUM> in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

The suction/discharge unit <NUM> may include a muffler assembly <NUM>, a valve assembly <NUM>, discharge hose <NUM>, a plurality of gaskets <NUM> and <NUM>, an elastic member <NUM>, and a clamp <NUM>.

The muffler assembly <NUM> transmits the refrigerant suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM> to an inside of the cylinder <NUM>, and the refrigerant compressed in compression space C of the cylinder <NUM> is transmitted to the discharge pipe <NUM>.

That is, the muffler assembly <NUM> is provided with a suction space S that accommodates the refrigerant suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM>, and a discharge space (D) that accommodates the refrigerant compressed in compression space C of the cylinder <NUM>.

The refrigerant suctioned from the suction pipe <NUM> flows into the suction space S of a suction/discharge tank <NUM> via suction mufflers <NUM> and <NUM> described hereinafter. The refrigerant compressed in the cylinder <NUM> passes through the discharge space D of the suction/discharge tank <NUM>, passes through discharge mufflers <NUM> and <NUM>, and is discharged outside of the compressor <NUM> through the discharge hose <NUM>.

The valve assembly <NUM> guides the refrigerant in the suction space S into the cylinder <NUM> or guides the refrigerant compressed in the cylinder <NUM> to the discharge space D.

That is, a discharge valve <NUM> mounted to open and close may be provided to allow the refrigerant compressed in the compression space C to be discharged to the discharge space D on a front side of the valve assembly <NUM>, and a suction valve <NUM> mounted to open and close is provided to allow the refrigerant in the suction space S to be discharged to the compression space C of the cylinder <NUM> on a rear side of the valve assembly <NUM>.

That is, the discharge valve <NUM> is provided on the front side of the valve assembly <NUM>, and the suction valve <NUM> is provided on the rear side of the valve assembly <NUM>.

Operation of the discharge valve <NUM> and the suction valve <NUM> will be described hereinafter.

When the refrigerant compressed in the compression space C in the cylinder <NUM> is discharged, the discharge valve <NUM> is opened and the suction valve <NUM> is closed. Accordingly, the refrigerant compressed in the cylinder <NUM> may flow into the discharge space D without flowing into the suction space S.

Conversely, when the refrigerant flowing into the suction space S is suctioned into the cylinder <NUM>, the discharge valve <NUM> is closed and the suction valve <NUM> is opened. Accordingly, the refrigerant in the suction space S may flow into the cylinder <NUM> without flowing into the discharge space D.

The discharge hose <NUM> is a device that transmits the compressed refrigerant accommodated in the discharge space D to the discharge pipe <NUM>, and is coupled to the muffler assembly <NUM>. One or a first side of the discharge hose <NUM> is coupled to the muffler assembly <NUM> to communicate with the discharge space D, and the other or a second side of the discharge hose <NUM> is coupled to the discharge pipe <NUM>.

The plurality of gaskets <NUM> and <NUM> are devices that prevents refrigerant leakage and are mounted on one or a first side and the other or a second side of the valve assembly <NUM>, respectively.

That is, the plurality of gaskets <NUM> and <NUM> may include first gasket <NUM> and second gasket <NUM>. The first gasket <NUM> may be mounted on a front of the valve assembly <NUM>, and the second gasket <NUM> is mounted on a rear of the valve assembly <NUM>.

The elastic member <NUM> supports the muffler assembly <NUM> when the compressor <NUM> is driven, and is mounted in front of the muffler assembly <NUM>. The elastic member <NUM> may include a Belleville spring, for example.

The clamp <NUM> fixes the valve assembly <NUM>, the first gasket <NUM>, the second gasket <NUM>, and the elastic member <NUM> to the muffler assembly <NUM>. The clamp <NUM> may be formed in a substantially triangular shape, and mounted to the muffler assembly <NUM> through a fastening means such as a screw member.

In addition, the compressor <NUM> may further include a plurality of damper members <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> and a balance weight <NUM>.

The plurality of damper members <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> dampen vibrations of internal structures generated when the compressor <NUM> is driven. The plurality of damper members <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may include front damper <NUM>, rear damper <NUM>, and lower dampers <NUM> and <NUM>.

The front damper <NUM> dampens vibration of the suction/discharge unit <NUM> and may be made of a rubber material, for example. The front damper <NUM> may be coupled to a front upper portion of the cylinder block <NUM> through a fastening means coupled to the clamp <NUM>.

The rear damper <NUM> dampens vibration of the compression unit <NUM> and is mounted on a rear upper portion of the cylinder block <NUM>. The rear damper <NUM> may be made of a rubber material, for example.

The lower dampers <NUM> and <NUM> dampen vibration of the motor <NUM> and may include a plurality. The plurality of lower dampers <NUM> and <NUM> may include front lower damper <NUM> and rear lower damper <NUM>.

The front lower damper <NUM> may dampen vibration of a front side of the motor <NUM> and may be mounted on a front lower side of the stator core <NUM>. The rear lower damper <NUM> may dampen vibration of a rear side of the motor <NUM>, and may be mounted on a rear lower side of the stator core <NUM>.

The balance weight <NUM> is a device that controls rotational vibration when the rotational shaft <NUM> of the motor <NUM> rotates, and may be coupled to the eccentric shaft <NUM> of the rotational shaft <NUM> at an upper side of the connecting rod <NUM>.

Hereinafter, configurations of the muffler assembly <NUM> and the discharge hose <NUM> will be described.

<FIG> is a view of a reciprocating compressor according to an embodiment. <FIG> is a front perspective view showing a connection between a muffler assembly and a discharge hose according to an embodiment.

<FIG> is a rear perspective view showing a connection of a muffler assembly and a discharge hose according to an embodiment. <FIG> is a schematic view showing connections between a discharge muffler and the discharge hose shown in <FIG> and <FIG>.

Prior to describing specific embodiments, characteristics of a reciprocating compressor according to embodiments will be briefly described, the reciprocating compressor including two or more discharge hoses. Each of the discharge hoses may be formed of a flexible material.

As the reciprocating compressor of this configuration includes two or more discharge hoses that connect the discharge muffler and the discharge pipe, by reducing inner diameters of the discharge hoses, it is possible to reduce a rigidity of the discharge hoses and prevent clogging of the discharge gas during high-speed operation, and it can effectively reduce pulsation.

The two or more discharge hoses may have different inner diameters, a same inner diameter, or different lengths.

In addition, at least one of the two or more discharge hoses may be formed with different inner diameters of an inlet and an outlet, or inner diameters of the inlet and outlet of each of the two or more discharge hoses may be the same.

Accordingly, two or more discharge hoses may be effectively installed in spaces of various sizes formed inside of the airtight container of the reciprocating compressor.

In addition, it can effectively reduce clogging and pulsation of discharged gas while maintaining a same total cross-sectional area of the passage formed by the discharge hose as in the related art.

A total cross-sectional area of the passage formed by the two or more discharge hoses may be formed to be less than or equal to a cross-sectional area of the discharge pipe.

Discharge hoses of various structures provided in the reciprocating compressor according to embodiments will be described hereinafter.

Referring to <FIG>, the muffler assembly <NUM> according to an embodiment may include a first assembly part or portion (suction muffler) <NUM>, a second assembly part or portion (suction muffler) <NUM>, a third assembly part or portion (discharge muffler) <NUM>, and a fourth assembly part or portion (discharge muffler) <NUM>.

The first assembly part <NUM> may include a suction hole <NUM> that communicates with the suction pipe <NUM>. The suction hole <NUM> may be positioned adjacent to an inside of a point of the lower airtight container <NUM> to which the suction pipe <NUM> is coupled. An inner pipe <NUM> may be installed inside of the first assembly part <NUM>. For example, the inner pipe <NUM> may include a substantially cylindrical pipe.

A first fixing part or portion <NUM> that fixes the inner pipe <NUM> may be installed inside of the first assembly part <NUM>. A through hole <NUM> corresponding to the suction hole <NUM> may be formed in the first fixing part <NUM>. Therefore, in a state in which the first fixing part <NUM> is installed inside of the first assembly part <NUM>, the suction hole <NUM> and the through hole <NUM> may be aligned with each other.

The inner pipe <NUM> may include a first coupling part or portion <NUM> coupled to the first fixing part <NUM>.

The inner pipe <NUM> may extend upward from the first assembly part <NUM> and be coupled to the second assembly part <NUM>. The second assembly part <NUM> may include a second fixing part or portion coupled to the inner pipe <NUM>. The inner pipe <NUM> may include a second coupling part or portion <NUM> coupled to the second fixing part.

The second assembly part <NUM> may be coupled to an upper side of the first assembly part <NUM>. At least a portion of the inner pipe <NUM> may be positioned inside of the first assembly part <NUM> and the remaining portion may be positioned inside of the second assembly part <NUM>.

When the first assembly part <NUM> and the second assembly part <NUM> are coupled, a suction passage through which the refrigerant suctioned into the compressor <NUM> flows toward the cylinder <NUM> is formed inside of the first and second assembly parts <NUM> and <NUM>. Accordingly, the first and second assembly parts <NUM> and <NUM> may be collectively referred to as a "suction muffler".

The third assembly part <NUM> is spaced apart from and disposed on or at one side of the second assembly part <NUM>. In addition, the suction/discharge tank <NUM> that forms the suction space S and the discharge space D is installed between the second assembly part <NUM> and the third assembly part <NUM>.

The suction/discharge tank <NUM> may include a partition <NUM> that divides an internal space of the suction/discharge tank <NUM> into the suction space S and the discharge space D. Also, the valve assembly <NUM> may be installed on or at one side of the suction/discharge tank <NUM>.

The suction space S may be shielded by the suction valve <NUM>. The discharge space D may be shielded by the discharge valve <NUM>.

The fourth assembly part <NUM> may be coupled to a lower side of the third assembly part <NUM>. When the third assembly part <NUM> and the fourth assembly part <NUM> are coupled, a discharge passage through which the refrigerant discharged from the cylinder <NUM> flows toward the discharge pipe <NUM> may be formed inside of the third and fourth assembly parts <NUM> and <NUM>.

Accordingly, the third and fourth assembly parts <NUM> and <NUM> may be collectively referred to as a "discharge muffler".

The third assembly part <NUM> may be referred to as a "muffler body" of the discharge muffler, and the fourth assembly part <NUM> may be referred to as a "muffler cover" of the discharge muffler.

A plurality of partition walls W1 and W2 may be positioned in the inner space of the discharge muffler.

In the drawing, an example is shown in which two partition walls W1 and W2 are provided; however, the number of partition walls may be variously changed.

When the two partition walls W1 and W2 are positioned inside the discharge muffler, three attenuation spaces M1, M2 and M3 are formed in the internal space of the discharge muffler.

In addition, the three attenuation spaces M1, M2 and M3 communicate with each other.

The partition wall W1 may be integrally fixed to the third assembly part <NUM>, and an end of the partition wall W1 may be spaced apart from an inner bottom surface of the fourth assembly part <NUM>. Thus, a flow passage through which the discharge gas flows may be formed between the end of the partition wall W1 and the inner bottom surface of the fourth assembly part <NUM>.

The partition wall W2 may be integrally fixed to the fourth assembly part <NUM>, and an end of the partition wall W2 may be spaced apart from an inner bottom surface of the third assembly part <NUM>. Thus, a flow passage through which the discharge gas flows may be formed between the end of the partition wall W2 and the inner bottom surface of the third assembly part <NUM>.

The three attenuation spaces M1, M2, and M3 may include third attenuation space M3 positioned last along a flow direction of the discharge gas, first attenuation space M1 spaced apart from the third attenuation space M3, and second attenuation space M2 positioned between the first attenuation space M1 and the third attenuation space M3.

The discharge hose <NUM> of the multi-hose structure coupled to the discharge muffler may include a main hose 800a coupled to the third attenuation space M3 positioned last along the flow direction of the discharge gas among the three attenuation spaces M1, M2, M3, and an auxiliary hose 800b coupled to at least one attenuation space among the remaining two attenuation spaces M1 and M2, for example, the second attenuation space M2 and/or the first attenuation space M1.

The main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b may have different inner diameters. An inner diameter of the main hose 800a coupled to the third attenuation space M3 among the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b may be formed larger than an inner diameter of the auxiliary hose 800b, and a sum of cross-sectional areas of passages of the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b may be formed less than or equal to a cross-sectional area of the discharge hose.

The main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b may have different lengths. Alternatively, they may also have a same length.

In addition, at least one hose among the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b may be formed differently from each other in an inner diameter of an inlet (the part coupled to the fourth assembly part) and outlet (the part coupled to the discharge pipe).

In this case, among the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b, at least one hose may have an inner diameter of an inlet (the part coupled to the fourth assembly part) larger than an inner diameter of an outlet (the part coupled to the discharge pipe).

Alternatively, the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b may be formed with a same inner diameter of the inlet (the part coupled to the fourth assembly part) and outlet (the part coupled to the discharge pipe) respectively.

According to this configuration, the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b may be effectively installed in spaces of various sizes formed inside of the airtight container of the reciprocating compressor.

The main hose 800a and the auxiliary hose 800b transmit the refrigerant (or discharge gas) in the discharge muffler to the discharge pipe <NUM>.

In this embodiment, one or a first side of the discharge hoses 800a and 800b may be coupled to the fourth assembly part <NUM>, and the other or a second side may be coupled to the discharge pipe <NUM>.

In order to couple the discharge hoses 800a and 800b, a first connector <NUM> may be coupled to an end of the discharge pipe <NUM>, and the other sides of the discharge hoses 800a and 800b may be coupled to the first connector <NUM>.

A coupling structure between the first connector <NUM> and the discharge pipe <NUM> and a coupling structure between the discharge hoses 800a and 800b and the first connector <NUM> may be formed in various ways.

The discharge hoses 800a and 800b may extend slightly longer from the fourth assembly part <NUM> toward the discharge pipe <NUM>, and in order to be disposed in the limited inner space of the airtight container <NUM>, they may be configured to be curved or bent at least once.

The discharge hoses 800a and 800b may be formed of a flexible material; however, this is not essential.

Some of the discharge hoses 800a and 800b may be supported by a hose fixing part or portion <NUM>. The hose fixing part <NUM> may be coupled to the rear damper <NUM> and be configured to clamp the discharge hose <NUM>.

For example, the hose fixing part <NUM> may have a tong shape and may be disposed to surround at least a portion of outer circumferential surfaces of the discharge hoses 800a and 800b. By the hose fixing part <NUM>, the discharge hoses 800a and 800b may be guided to be positioned in a state of being spaced apart from an inner surface of the airtight container <NUM>.

The discharge pipe <NUM> may pass through the lower airtight container <NUM> and extend into the lower airtight container <NUM>, and the discharge hoses 800a and 800b may be connected to the first connector <NUM> coupled to the discharge pipe <NUM>.

In order to facilitate connection between the discharge pipe <NUM> and the discharge hoses 800a and 800b, the discharge pipe <NUM> may be bent through the lower airtight container <NUM> and extend upward.

The discharge hoses 800a and 800b may be formed of a flexible rubber material, for example, and the discharge pipe <NUM> may be made of a metal material, for example, copper (Cu).

As the reciprocating compressor having this configuration includes two or more discharge hoses that connect the discharge muffler and the discharge pipe, the rigidity of discharge hoses may be effectively reduced.

Accordingly, it is possible to effectively reduce vibration generated in the compressor body from being transmitted to the airtight container, and to effectively suppress or prevent an increase in vibration of the airtight container due to an increase in rigidity of the discharge hose.

In addition, as it is possible to effectively suppress or prevent clogging of the discharge gas during high-speed operation of the micro-reciprocating compressor, a cooling capacity may be increased in proportion to the increase in operating speed of the compressor.

In addition, an overall pulsation of the reciprocating compressor may be effectively reduced.

<FIG> is a graph showing a pulsation reduction effect of a reciprocating compressor according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, it can be seen that the reciprocating compressor according to embodiments having at least two discharge hoses has an excellent pulsation reduction effect compared to the conventional case having one discharge hose.

As the discharged gas after passing through all of the plurality of attenuation spaces M1 to M3 flows into the main hose 800a, noise generated during operation of the compressor may be effectively attenuated.

<FIG> are schematic views showing connections between a discharge muffler and a discharge hose according to other embodiments.

First, referring to <FIG>, unlike the above-described embodiment, the reciprocating compressor of this embodiment may include discharge hose <NUM> having one main hose 800a and two auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c. The two auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c may include first auxiliary hose 800c coupled to the first attenuation space M1 and second auxiliary hose 800b connected to the second attenuation space M2.

In addition, the first auxiliary hose 800c may be formed with a smaller inner diameter than that of the second auxiliary hose 800b, as shown in <FIG>.

That is, the inner diameter of the first auxiliary hose 800c coupled to the first attenuation space M1 may be formed smaller than the inner diameter of the second auxiliary hose 800b coupled to the second attenuation space M2 and the inner diameter of the main hose 800a coupled to the third attenuation space M3, respectively, and the inner diameter of the second auxiliary hose 800b may be formed smaller than the inner diameter of the main hose 800a.

Alternatively, the first auxiliary hose 800c may have a same inner diameter as the second auxiliary hose 800b.

Alternatively, the inner diameter of the first auxiliary hose 800c may be larger than the inner diameter of the second auxiliary hose 800b but smaller than the inner diameter of the main hose 800a.

A sum of cross-sectional areas of passages of the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c may be formed less than or equal to a cross-sectional area of the discharge hose.

The main hose 800a and the auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c may have different lengths, but may also have the same length.

Next, referring to <FIG>, the reciprocating compressor of this embodiment may include discharge hose <NUM> having one main hose 800a and two auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c, but the two auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c may include first auxiliary hose 800c coupled to one or a first side of second connector <NUM> coupled to the end of the main hose 800a coupled to the third damping space M3, and second auxiliary hose 800b coupled to the other or a second side of the second connector <NUM>.

The first auxiliary hose 800c and the second auxiliary hose 800b may have a same inner diameter; however, they may also have different inner diameters.

In addition, the first auxiliary hose 800c and the second auxiliary hose 800b each may be formed smaller than the inner diameter of the main hose 800a.

A sum of cross-sectional areas of passages of the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c may be formed less than or equal to the cross-sectional area of the discharge hose.

In addition, the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c may have different lengths; however, they may also have the same length.

Referring next to <FIG>, the reciprocating compressor of this embodiment may include discharge hose <NUM> having at least two main hoses 800a.

That is, the reciprocating compressor described in the above-described embodiments is configured such that the discharge hose includes a main hose and an auxiliary hose, but the discharge hose <NUM> provided in the reciprocating compressor of this embodiment includes only at least two main hoses 800a formed with the same inner diameter.

In this case, one of the main hoses 800a may be coupled to the fourth assembly part, and among the main hoses 800a, the remaining main hoses 800a may be coupled to the third assembly part.

A sum of passage cross-sectional areas of the main hoses 800a may be formed less than or equal to the cross-sectional area of the discharge hose.

The main hoses 800a may have different lengths, but may also have a same length.

It can be seen that the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c of the discharge hoses <NUM> provided in the previous embodiments have the same inner diameters of the inlets (the part coupled to the fourth assembly part) and outlets (the part coupled to the discharge pipe).

However, as shown in <FIG>, at least one hose of the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c may have different inner diameters of an inlet (the part coupled to the fourth assembly part) and an outlet (the part coupled to the discharge pipe).

In this case, at least one hose of the main hose 800a and the auxiliary hoses 800b and 800c may have an inner diameter of an inlet (the part coupled to the fourth assembly part) larger than an inner diameter of an outlet (the part coupled to the discharge pipe).

Claim 1:
A reciprocating compressor comprising:
an airtight container (<NUM>) forming an airtight space;
a discharge pipe (<NUM>) coupled to the airtight container (<NUM>);
a motor (<NUM>) having a stator (<NUM>, <NUM>) and a rotor (<NUM>) and installed inside of the airtight container (<NUM>) to generate a rotational force;
a compression unit (<NUM>) having a connecting rod (<NUM>) for converting the rotational force of the motor (<NUM>) into a linear drive force, a piston (<NUM>) connected to the connecting rod (<NUM>), and a cylinder (<NUM>) into which the piston (<NUM>) is movably inserted; and
a discharge muffler (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to attenuate discharge noise of a discharge gas discharged after being compressed in the cylinder (<NUM>),
the discharge muffler (<NUM>, <NUM>) including a muffler body (<NUM>) and a muffler cover (<NUM>) coupled to the muffler body (<NUM>) to form an internal space, and a plurality of partition walls (W1, W2) positioned in the internal space for partitioning the internal space into a plurality of attenuation spaces (M1, M2, M3);
characterised by
two or more discharge hoses (<NUM>) that connect the discharge muffler (<NUM>, <NUM>) and the discharge pipe,
wherein the two or more discharge hoses (<NUM>) include at least one main hose (800A) connected to a last attenuation space (M3) positioned last along a flow direction of the discharge gas among the plurality of attenuation spaces (M1, M2, M3), and
wherein at least one auxiliary hose (800B) is connected to another attenuation space (M1, M2) other than the last attenuation space (M3).