Linear compressor and the supporter for the same

In general, a linear compressor is used for refrigerator and etc as an instrument compressing a working fluid such as refrigerant and etc in a cylinder by a piston reciprocated in the cylinder with a rectilinear driving force of a linear motor.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the linear compressor according to the conventional art.

The linear compressor according to the conventional art illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a shell 2 forming the external appearance and having a cylinder block 4 and a back 6 cover in the inside, and a compression unit compressing a working fluid with a predetermined pressure ratio as arranged between the cylinder block 4 and the back cover 6.

The shell 2 includes a fluid suction pipe 8 inhaling the working fluid to be compressed into the compression unit, and a fluid discharge pipe 9 discharging the working fluid compressed in the compression unit to outside of the shell 2.

The compression unit includes a cylinder 10 inhaling the working fluid through the fluid suction pipe 8, a piston 20 compressing the working fluid inhaled into the cylinder 10 as reciprocated in the cylinder 10, and a linear motor 30 reciprocating the piston 20.

The cylinder 10 includes a discharge valve assembly 12 discharging the working fluid compressed in the cylinder 10 through the fluid discharge pipe 9.

The piston 20 includes a suction passage 21 inhaling the working fluid passed through the fluid suction pipe 8 into the cylinder 10, and a suction valve 22 opening and shutting the suction passage 21.

The linear motor 30 is broadly composed of a stator 32, and a rotor 34 connected with the piston 20 and reciprocated by electro magnetic interaction with the stator 32.

On the other hand, the compression unit has a elastic member 40 providing the piston 20 with the elastic force in the reciprocating direction of the piston 20 to be advanced and reversed during the reciprocating movement of the piston 20.

The elastic member 40 includes a first piston spring 42 positioned between the back cover 6 and the piston 20, and a second piston spring 44 supported by the cylinder block 4 and the piston 20 as positioned between the cylinder 10 and the linear motor 30.

Reference will now be made in detail to the operation of the linear compressor according to the conventional art.

When the linear motor 30 is operated, the piston 20 is reciprocated in the cylinder 10 with the driving force of the linear motor 30. Further, the piston 20 is advanced and reversed as the first and second piston springs 42 and 44 are compressed and released repeatedly as interlocked with the reciprocating movement of the piston 20, and the discharge valve assembly 12 and the suction valve 22 achieve the opening and shutting operation repeatedly.

Then, the working fluid is inhaled into the cylinder 10 through the fluid suction pipe 6, the working fluid inhaled into the cylinder 10 is compressed with a high pressure by the piston 20, and the working fluid compressed in the cylinder 10 is discharged outside of the shell 2 through the discharge unit 12 and the fluid discharge pipe 9.

The processes of suction, compression, and discharge of the working fluid achieved as above are repeated in order during the operation of the linear motor 30.

However, the linear compressor according to the conventional art described above has a disadvantage that the planning the lateral resonance frequency due to the lateral stiffness of the first and the second piston springs 42 and 44 not to be included in the operation frequency range of the linear compressor is difficult.

The present invention is contrived to overcome the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a linear compressor and a supporter of the same that the changing of lateral resonance frequency due to the lateral stiffness of the elastic member is easy as the increase of the mass inertia moment compared with the arm length of the supporter is minimized as composing a stub or a narrow part on the supporter arm, and in that the entire size is reduced and the manufacturing costs are reduced as the lateral resonance frequency is easily raised without extending the length of the supporter arm.

The present invention to overcome the above-mentioned technical problems provides a supporter of a linear compressor including a supporter base; at least one of the supporter arm extended from the base and the elastic member is seated; and that a stub is arranged at least on the inner side or the outer side of the supporter arm.

The supporter arm having a stub comprises a supporter arm connection unit extended toward a side from the supporter base, and a supporter arm supporting unit extended toward the other side from the supporter arm connection unit and on which the elastic member is sat.