Compressor

This is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a), of International Application No. PCT/KR2025/002355, filed Feb. 19, 2025, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0055723, filed Apr. 25, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.

The disclosure relates to a compressor.

A compressor is a mechanical device that receives power from a power generation device, such as an electric motor or a turbine, and compresses air, refrigerant, or other various types of working gases to increase the pressure. Compressors are widely used in home appliances, such as a refrigerator, an air conditioner, and a clothes dryer, as well as various industries.

The types of compressors include reciprocating compressors, scroll compressors, and rotary compressors. A reciprocating compressor compresses working gas by forming a compression space between a piston and a cylinder in which the working gas is admitted and discharged, as the piston moves linearly back and forth inside the cylinder. A scroll compressor compresses working gas by forming a compression space between an orbiting scroll and a fixed scroll in which the working gas is admitted and discharged, as the orbiting scroll rotates along the fixed scroll. A rotary compressor compresses working gas by forming a compression space between an eccentrically rotating rolling piston and a cylinder in which the working gas is admitted and discharged, as the rolling piston eccentrically rotates along the inner wall of the cylinder.

A compressor includes a compressing portion in which compression of refrigerant is performed, and a driving part that provides power for the compression of the refrigerant. The compressing portion may be provided with a muffler to reduce noise generated when the compressed refrigerant is discharged.

One aspect of the disclosure provides a compressor having an improved structure in which discharge flow paths of refrigerant compressed from each of an upper cylinder and a lower cylinder are separated.

One aspect of the disclosure provides a compressor having an improved structure to prevent pressure drop caused by flow interference between refrigerant discharged from an upper cylinder and refrigerant discharged from a lower cylinder.

One aspect of the disclosure provides a compressor having an improved structure to prevent a portion of discharged refrigerant from flowing backward.

The technical objectives of the disclosure are not limited to the above, and other objectives that are not described above may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art based on the following descriptions.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a compressor may include: a lower cylinder including: a lower compression chamber, the lower compression chamber configured so that refrigerant is compressed in the lower compression chamber, and the compressed refrigerant in the lower compression chamber is discharged from the lower compression chamber; an upper cylinder including: an upper compression chamber, the upper compression chamber configured so that refrigerant is compressed in the upper compression chamber, and the compressed refrigerant in the upper compression chamber is discharged from the upper compression chamber; a lower muffler on a lower side of the lower compression chamber, and configured to receive, and reduce noise of, the refrigerant discharged from the lower compression chamber and discharged the refrigerant received from the lower compression chamber and having the reduced noise to an accommodation space of the compressor; and a separation muffler on an upper side of the upper compression chamber, and configured to receive, and reduce noise of, the refrigerant discharged from the upper compression chamber and discharge the refrigerant received from the upper compression chamber and having the reduced noise to the accommodation space. The separation muffler may be divided from a flow path extending upward from the lower muffler and along which refrigerant from the lower muffler is discharged so that, before reaching the accommodation space, the refrigerant discharged from the lower muffler travels along the flow path and is divided from the refrigerant discharged from the separation muffler.

The compressor may further include: a connection muffler on an upper side of the upper compression chamber and configured to receive the refrigerant discharged from the lower muffler that travels along the flow path.

The separation muffler may include a first discharge hole through which the refrigerant discharged from the separation muffler is discharged to the accommodation space. The connection muffler may include a second discharge hole through which the refrigerant discharged from the connection muffler is discharged to the accommodation space. The flow path may extend from the lower muffler through an inside of the connection muffler to the second discharge hole.

The compressor may further include: a rotatable shaft, a lower roller inside the lower compression chamber and configured to be rotated by rotation of the rotatable shaft to compress the refrigerant in the lower compression chamber, and discharge the refrigerant compressed in the lower compression chamber, and an upper roller inside the upper compression chamber and configured to be rotated by rotation of the rotatable shaft to compress the refrigerant in the upper compression chamber, and discharge the refrigerant compressed in the upper compression chamber. A distance between the rotatable shaft and the first discharge hole may be shorter than a distance between the rotatable shaft and the second discharge hole.

The compressor may further include: a rotatable shaft, a lower roller inside the lower compression chamber and configured to be rotated by rotation of the rotatable shaft to compress the refrigerant in the lower compression chamber, and discharge the refrigerant compressed in the lower compression chamber, and an upper roller inside the upper compression chamber and configured to be rotated by rotation of the rotatable shaft to compress the refrigerant in the upper compression chamber, and discharge the refrigerant compressed in the upper compression chamber. A distance between the rotatable shaft and the first discharge hole may be longer than a distance between the rotatable shaft and the second discharge hole.

The first discharge hole may be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the separation muffler is discharged upward. The second discharge hole may be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the connection muffler upward.

The first discharge hole may be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the separation muffler is discharged in a horizontal direction or in a first direction inclined at a first predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction. The second discharge hole may be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the connection muffler is discharged in the horizontal direction or in a second direction inclined at a second predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction.

The compressor may further include: a connection hole through which the refrigerant from the lower muffler travels along the flow path from the lower muffler to the connection muffler. The connection hole and the second discharge hole may be spaced apart in a horizontal direction.

The flow path may extend through an area between the separation muffler and the connection muffler.

The separation muffler and the connection muffler may be coupled to each other.

The compressor may further include: an upper cylinder cover on an upper side of the upper cylinder and having an upper inlet hole through which the refrigerant compressed in the upper compression chamber is discharged to the separation muffler. The separation muffler may include a discharge hole through which the refrigerant received from the upper compression chamber and having the reduced noise is discharged to the accommodation space, and the upper inlet hole and the discharge hole may be spaced apart in a horizontal direction.

The compressor may further include: an outlet pipe through which the flow path extends and configured to discharge the refrigerant from the lower muffler upward.

The compressor may further include: an upper cylinder cover on an upper side of the upper compression chamber and including an upper cover hole, wherein the outlet pipe may extend upward from the upper cover hole.

The outlet pipe may pass through the separation muffler.

The accommodation space may be on an upper side of the separation muffler. The separation muffler may include a discharge hole through which the refrigerant received from the upper compression chamber and having the reduced noise is discharged to the accommodation space. The refrigerant discharged through the discharge hole and the refrigerant discharged from the lower muffler along the flow path may be mixed in the accommodation space.

A compressor according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include: a lower cylinder including a lower compression chamber on the inside thereof that is configured to compress refrigerant; a upper cylinder including a upper compression chamber on the inside thereof that is configured to compress refrigerant; a lower muffler configured to reduce noise of refrigerant discharged from the lower compression chamber and disposed on a lower side of the lower cylinder; and an upper muffler disposed on an upper side of the upper cylinder. The upper muffler may include a separation muffler configured to reduce noise of refrigerant discharged from the upper compression chamber, and a connection muffler connected to the lower muffler and divided from the separation muffler.

A compressor according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a lower cylinder including a lower compression chamber on the inside thereof that is configured to compress refrigerant; a upper cylinder including a upper compression chamber on the inside thereof that is configured to compress refrigerant; a lower muffler configured to reduce noise of refrigerant discharged from the lower compression chamber and disposed on a lower side of the lower cylinder; an outlet pipe configured to discharge refrigerant in the lower muffler upward; and an upper muffler disposed on an upper side of the upper cylinder, the upper muffler being configured to reduce noise of refrigerant discharged from the upper compression chamber and divided from the outlet pipe.

Various embodiments of the present document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the corresponding embodiments.

In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.

The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or a plurality of the items unless clearly indicated otherwise in a related context.

In this document, phrases, such as “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B,” “A, B or C,” “at least one of A, B and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C”, may include any one or all possible combinations of items listed together in the corresponding phrase among the phrases.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of associated listed items.

Terms such as “1st”, “2nd”, “primary”, or “secondary” may be used simply to distinguish a component from other components, without limiting the component in other aspects e.g., importance or order.

It will be understood that when the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof.

It will be understood that when a certain component is referred to as being “connected to”, “coupled to”, “supported by” or “in contact with” another component, it may be directly or indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other component. When a component is indirectly connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with another component, it may be connected to, coupled to, supported by, or in contact with the other component through a third component.

It will also be understood that when a component is referred to as being “on” another component, it may be directly on the other component or intervening components may also be present.

Further, as used in the disclosure, the terms “front”, “rear”, “top”, “bottom”, “side”, “left”, “right”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like are defined with reference to the drawings, and are not intended to limit the shape and position of each component.

Among the expressions used in the description below, “upper˜”, “lower˜”, etc. may be used to distinguish components by considering the relative positions between the components, and these expressions may be replaced with expressions such as “first˜”, “second˜”.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

is a drawing schematically illustrating an air conditioner including a compressor according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to, a compressoraccording to an embodiment of the disclosure may be included in an air conditioner.

The air conditionermay absorb heat from the indoors and release heat to the outdoors for cooling a space to be air-conditioned, i.e., an indoor space. In addition, the air conditionermay absorb heat from the outdoors and release heat to the indoors for heating the indoor space. The air conditionermay include an outdoor unitconfigured to exchange heat with outdoor air and an indoor unitconfigured to exchange heat with indoor air. For example, the outdoor unitmay be installed in the outdoor space and may exchange heat with outdoor air, and the indoor unitmay be installed in the indoor space and may exchange heat with indoor air.

The air conditioneraccording to an embodiment may be a separate air conditioner in which the outdoor unitand the indoor unitare installed separately from each other. Alternatively, the air conditioneraccording to an embodiment may be an integrated air conditioner in which the outdoor unitand the indoor unitare installed together in one cabinet.

The outdoor unitmay perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air by utilizing the phase change of the refrigerant (for example, evaporation or condensation). For example, the outdoor unitmay release the heat of the refrigerant to the outdoor air by utilizing the condensation of the refrigerant. In addition, the outdoor unitmay absorb the heat of the outdoor air into the refrigerant by utilizing the evaporation of the refrigerant.

The outdoor unitmay include a compressorconfigured to compress refrigerant gas, and an outdoor heat exchangerconfigured to perform heat exchange between the outdoor air and the refrigerant.

The indoor unitmay perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and indoor air by utilizing the phase change of the refrigerant (e.g., evaporation or condensation). For example, the indoor unitmay cool the indoor space by absorbing the heat of the indoor air into the refrigerant by utilizing the evaporation of the refrigerant. In addition, the indoor unitmay heat the indoor space by releasing the heat of the refrigerant into the indoor air by utilizing the condensation of the refrigerant.

The indoor unitmay include an indoor heat exchangerconfigured to perform heat exchange between the indoor air and the refrigerant.

As shown in, the air conditionermay include a refrigerant circulation circuit for transferring heat between the outdoor unitand the indoor unitusing a refrigerant as a medium.

The refrigerant circulation circuit may include a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger. The refrigerant may be circulated in the order of the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the indoor heat exchanger, or may be circulated in the order of the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the outdoor heat exchanger.

The compressormay compress refrigerant gas and discharge the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas. For example, the compressormay include a motor and a compression mechanism, and the compression mechanism may compress the refrigerant gas by a torque of the motor. The detailed structure of the compressorwill be described below.

In the outdoor heat exchanger, heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air may be performed. For example, during the cooling operation, high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant gas is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger, and while the refrigerant is being condensed, the refrigerant may release heat to the outdoor air. During the cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchangermay discharge refrigerant liquid. In addition, during a heating operation, low-temperature, low-voltage refrigerant liquid is evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger, and while the refrigerant is being evaporated, the refrigerant may absorb heat from the outdoor air. During a heating operation, the outdoor heat exchangermay discharge refrigerant gas.