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Linear compressor, particularly refrigerant compressorRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, Motor Driven, Electric Or Magnetic Motor, Reciprocating Rigid Pumping Member, Reciprocating Motor, Unitary Pump And Motor Working MemberLinear compressor, particularly refrigerant compressor description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070041854, Linear compressor, particularly refrigerant compressor. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Applicant hereby claims foreign priority benefits under U.S.C. .sctn. 119 from German Patent Application No. 10 2005 038 785.3 filed on Aug. 17, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. This Application relates to German Patent Applications No. 10 2005 038 783.7 (Attorney Docket No. 6495-0168); No. 10 2005 038 784.5 (Attorney Docket No. 6495-0169); No. 10 2005 038 781.0 (Attorney Docket No. 6495-0172); No. 10 2005 038 780.2 (Attorney Docket No. 6495-0173), filed on the same date herewith. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention concerns a linear compressor, particularly a refrigerant compressor, with a compression unit having a cylinder and a piston reciprocating in the cylinder, and a linear motor having an outer stator, an inner stator and an armature located in a gap formed between the outer stator and the inner stator, the armature being connected to the piston via a piston rod. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Such a linear compressor is, for example, known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,332 B2. Here, the cylinder is arranged radially inside the inner stator. The armature being movable between inner stator and outer stator has permanent magnets and is connected to the piston rod by way of a radial flange arrangement transferring the movement of the armature to the piston. The flange arrangement is located axially between the motor and a resonance spring arrangement. [0004] A similar linear compressor is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,470 B2. Here, the armature is not connected to the piston via a piston rod but via some kind of cylinder pipe having approximately the same outer diameter as the piston. Also here the piston moves inside the inner stator, which causes that the stator and thus the linear compressor must have a relatively large diameter. Usually, such a linear motor will be operated in a lying state. This means that, due to the large diameter of the linear motor, the linear motor will have a relatively large height. When the linear compressor is used as refrigerant compressor in a domestic cooling appliance, for example a refrigerator or a freezer, the height of the linear compressor reduces the space available for the cooling chamber. [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,410 shows another linear compressor, in which the cylinder is located in an axial extension of the motor. Here, the inner stator is located inside the piston and the armature is connected directly to the side of the piston facing away from the cylinder head. This enables a relatively compact design, however, requires a relatively expensive manufacturing and mutual alignment of the individual parts, as only one end of the armature and of the inner stator can be fixed on the piston or on a carrier, respectively. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The invention is based on the task of providing a linear compressor with a simple design and the smallest possible dimensions. [0007] With a linear compressor as mentioned in the introduction, this task is solved in that the armature is connected to the piston rod inside the axial length of the inner stator. [0008] Thus, a connection between the armature and the piston rod is guided through the inner stator. An arrangement located axially outside the motor, via which the armature can be connected to the piston rod, is no longer required. The result is a relatively short design, which reduces the space required for the compressor. This permits, for example, an increase of the space available for the cooling chamber in a domestic cooling appliance with specified dimensions. [0009] Preferably, the compression unit is located axially outside the linear motor. Thus, the diameter of the motor and also the height of a horizontally located compressor can be kept small. Usually, sufficient space is available for a domestic cooling appliance in the width direction. The compressor can thus have a relatively large axial length, when the consequence of this is that its diameter and thus its height is reduced. [0010] Preferably, the piston rod is guided through the entire axial length of the linear motor, a resonance spring arrangement being located on a side of the linear motor facing away from the compression unit. The resonance spring arrangement has a resonance frequency, which is adapted to the operation frequency of the linear motor. The operation frequency is determined by the frequency of the supplied current. When the linear compressor is operated in the resonance range of the resonance spring arrangement, it will require less energy. As the piston rod can now be used to connect the resonance spring arrangement to the piston, the resonance spring arrangement can be located on the side of the linear motor lying opposite the compression unit. This decoupling simplifies the design. The resonance spring arrangement will not conflict with the movement of the piston. [0011] Preferably, the piston rod is guided by the piston and the resonance spring arrangement. Thus, the piston rod has no contact points with the linear motor. Thus, the piston rod can also hold the armature so that it is guided practically touch-free through the gap between inner stator and outer stator. [0012] Preferably, the cylinder is displaceable in relation to the outer stator during mounting. In connection with a piston compressor, it has certain significance that the compression chamber formed by the piston and the cylinder has a minimal value in the upper dead point of the piston. During mounting, the piston can now be positioned in its upper dead point, and then the cylinder can be displaced in relation to the outer stator, and thus also in relation to the piston, so that the compression chamber assumes the smallest permissible value. For example, the cylinder can be displaced in a pipe-shaped intermediary piece. When the desired position has been reached, the cylinder is fixed in the intermediary piece, for example by welding, soldering or gluing. [0013] Preferably, the armature and the piston rod are connected to each other via at least one connecting element, which is guided through at least two slots in the inner stator. Thus, the armature and the piston rod are connected to each other in two places in the circumferential direction, which increases the stability of the unit formed by the piston rod and the armature. The slots in the inner stator are of minor importance for the magnetic behaviour of the whole stator. In the inner stator, the magnetic field mainly extends in the axial direction, but not in the circumferential direction, so that the magnetic field is not much disturbed by the axially extending slots. [0014] It is preferred that the slots are made to be through over the axial length of the inner stator. This means that the inner stator can be made up of several segments. This simplifies the manufacturing. [0015] Preferably, the connecting element has an inner ring, which is connected to the piston rod. Thus, the inner ring secures the radial positioning of the connecting element in relation to the piston rod. [0016] It is preferred that the inner ring bears under a predetermined pressure on a circumferential bearing surface of the piston rod. Thus, the inner ring also secures the axial positioning of the connecting element in relation to the piston rod and thus the position of the piston rod and the armature in relation to each other. [0017] Preferably, the connecting element has an outer ring, which is connected to the armature. With this embodiment, the armature is held annularly, so that also its radial position in relation to the piston rod is secured. [0018] Preferably, the inner ring and the outer ring are connected to each other by means of at least two radially extending arms. These arms can be guided through the slots in the inner stator. They preferably extend radially. [0019] Preferably, the armature is formed by a cylinder pipe shaped permanent magnet arrangement, whose longitudinal axis coincides with the axis of the piston rod. The permanent magnets forming the permanent magnet arrangement are radially magnetised, that is, all their radial outsides have the same magnetical polarity. In a simple manner, this permanent magnet arrangement can be kept together by the outer ring. [0020] Preferably, the piston rod is connected to the armature in at least two positions, which have a distance in the axial direction. This ensures that the armature cannot tilt in relation to piston rod and vice versa. The allocation of armature and stator can be maintained very accurately, which gives favourable operation parameters. In particular, the gap, which is formed between the inner stator and the outer stator, can be set at a minimum width, as the risk that the armature will touch the stator is practically non-existent. Continue reading about Linear compressor, particularly refrigerant compressor... Full patent description for Linear compressor, particularly refrigerant compressor Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Linear compressor, particularly refrigerant compressor patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. 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