IP Library Granted Patent US 12,398,713
Granted Patent B2
US 12,398,713 · App. 18/144,433 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Reciprocating compressor

Inventors: Younghwan Kim (Seoul, KR); Jinkook Kim (Seoul, KR); Sangmin Kim (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
F04B35/04F04B39/0094F04B39/122F16C35/067
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,398,713
App. No.
18/144,433
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A reciprocating compressor may include a ball bearing positioned between a thrust surface of a cylinder block and a thrust surface of a crankshaft. The ball bearing may include a ball cage in a ring shape, a plurality of balls rotatably coupled to the ball cage, at least one washer positioned at least one of between the thrust surface of the cylinder block and the plurality of balls and between the thrust surface of the crankshaft and the plurality of balls, and a rotation preventing portion that limits rotation of the washer with respect to the corresponding thrust surface. According to a reciprocating compressor having the rotation preventing portion, as relative rotation of the washer with respect to the thrust surface of the cylinder block and/or the thrust surface of the crankshaft is restrained even if a rotational force higher than a viscous force acting on the washer is applied because a viscosity of oil is lowered, it is possible to eliminate the problem of deterioration of reliability and performance of the compressor.

Claims (16)

1. A reciprocating compressor, comprising:

an airtight container in which an airtight space is formed;

a motor having a stator and a rotor and installed inside of the airtight container to generate a rotational force; and

a compression unit installed at an upper side of the motor to compress refrigerant by the rotational force of the motor, wherein the compression unit includes:

a crankshaft having a shaft coupled to the rotor and inserted into a shaft hole of a cylinder block, an eccentric mass formed eccentrically at an upper end of the shaft, and a pin that is formed eccentrically with respect to the shaft on an upper surface of the eccentric mass and rotates eccentrically about the shaft;

a connecting rod rotatably coupled to the pin to convert rotational motion into linear motion;

a piston that is rotatably coupled to the connecting rod and compresses the refrigerant while reciprocating in a straight line in the cylinder; and

a ball bearing positioned between a thrust surface of the cylinder block and a thrust surface of the crankshaft, wherein the ball bearing includes:

a ball cage in a ring shape;

a plurality of balls rotatably coupled to the ball cage; and

at least one washer positioned at least one of between the thrust surface of the cylinder block and the plurality of balls and between the thrust surface of the crankshaft and the plurality of balls, and a rotation preventing portion that limits rotation of the at least one washer with respect to the corresponding thrust surface, wherein the at least one washer includes a lower washer positioned between the thrust surface of the cylinder block and the plurality of balls, and wherein a bearing restraining portion to which the lower washer is coupled is provided around the shaft hole in the thrust surface of the cylinder block, wherein the rotation preventing portion includes a lower washer rotation preventing portion that limits rotation of the lower washer on the thrust surface of the cylinder block, wherein the lower washer rotation preventing portion includes at least one straight line portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of the lower washer and at least one straight line portion formed on an inner circumferential surface of the bearing restraining portion and facing the at least one straight line portion of the lower washer, and a remaining portion of the outer circumferential surface of the lower washer, except for the at least one straight line portion, is formed in a circular shape, and a remaining portion of the inner circumferential surface of the bearing restraining portion, except for the at least one straight line portion, is formed in a circular shape, and wherein the at least one straight line portion connects in a straight line ends of the remaining portion of the lower washer formed in a circular shape.

2. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1 , wherein a shortest outer diameter of the thrust surface of the crankshaft is formed larger than a diameter of a circle connecting centers of the plurality of balls.

3. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one washer further includes an upper washer positioned between the thrust surface of the crankshaft and the plurality of balls, and wherein the rotation preventing portion further includes an upper washer rotation preventing portion that limits rotation of the upper washer on the thrust surface of the crankshaft.

4. The reciprocating compressor of claim 3 , wherein the upper washer rotation preventing portion includes at least one straight line portion formed on an inner circumferential surface of the upper washer and at least one straight line portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft of the crankshaft and facing the at least one straight line portion of the upper washer.

5. The reciprocating compressor of claim 3 , wherein the upper washer rotation preventing portion includes a polygonal portion formed on an inner circumferential surface of the upper washer and a polygonal portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft part of the crankshaft and facing the polygonal portion of the upper washer.

6. The reciprocating compressor of claim 3 , wherein a shortest outer diameter of the thrust surface of the crankshaft is formed larger than a diameter of a circle connecting centers of the plurality of balls.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2023
From: KIM, YOUNGHWAN; KIM, JINKOOK; KIM, SANGMIN
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 063565/0392 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0072830 · Jun 15, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230407915A1 · Dec 21, 2023
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