Linear compressor and refrigerator including same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a linear compressor and a refrigerator including the same. A linear compressor according to the spirit of the present disclosure includes a shell, a cylinder, a piston and a muffler. And the muffler includes a plurality of flow tubes extending in a flow direction of the refrigerant, and a plurality of through-holes passing through at least one of the plurality of flow tubes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A linear compressor comprising:
 a shell configured to couple to a suction pipe;   a cylinder that is located inside of the shell and that defines a compression space;   a piston that is located inside of the cylinder, that is configured to reciprocate relative to the cylinder, and that is configured to compress refrigerant in the compression space; and   a muffler configured to supply refrigerant from the suction pipe to the compression space,   wherein the muffler comprises a plurality of flow tubes that extend in a flow direction of refrigerant, and   wherein the muffler defines one or more through-holes in at least one of the plurality of flow tubes.   
     
     
         2 . The linear compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the muffler includes:
 a first muffler;   a second muffler configured to couple to a rear portion of the first muffler;   a third muffler configured to accommodate the second muffler and to couple to a rear portion of the piston; and   a perforated tube located between the first muffler and the second muffler, the perforated tube defining the one or more through-holes.   
     
     
         3 . The linear compressor of  claim 2 , wherein the first muffler includes:
 a first flow tube among the plurality of flow tubes;   a first coupling portion that extends radially outward from the first flow tube; and   a first suction portion that extends rearward from the first coupling portion, and   wherein the second muffler includes:
 a second flow tube among the plurality of flow tubes, and 
 a second coupling portion that extends radially outward from the second flow tube, the second coupling portion extending toward the first suction portion and being configured to contact the first suction portion. 
   
     
     
         4 . The linear compressor of  claim 3 , wherein the perforated tube is located radially inward of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion. 
     
     
         5 . The linear compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of flow tubes include:
 a first flow tube;   a second flow tube spaced apart from the first flow tube; and   a perforated tube that connects the first flow tube to the second flow tube, the perforated tube defining the one or more through-holes.   
     
     
         6 . The linear compressor of  claim 5 , wherein a thickness of the perforated tube is less than a thickness of each of the first flow tube and the second flow tube. 
     
     
         7 . The linear compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the muffler includes:
 a first muffler;   a second muffler configured to couple to a rear portion of the first muffler, the second muffler defining the one or more through-holes; and   a third muffler configured to accommodate the second muffler and to couple to a rear portion of the piston.   
     
     
         8 . The linear compressor of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of flow tubes include:
 a first flow tube located at the first muffler; and   a second flow tube located at the second muffler and configured to connect to the first flow tube.   
     
     
         9 . The linear compressor of  claim 8 , wherein the second flow tube defines the one or more through-holes. 
     
     
         10 . The linear compressor of  claim 8 , wherein the first flow tube is located inside of the piston, and
 wherein the second flow tube is located outside of the piston and configured to contact an end of the first flow tube.   
     
     
         11 . The linear compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the muffler includes an inlet configured to receive refrigerant and an outlet configured to discharge refrigerant,
 wherein the plurality of flow tubes extend from the inlet to the outlet in the flow direction of refrigerant, and   wherein one or more of the plurality of flow tubes include a plurality of variable portions, cross-sectional areas of the plurality of variable portions increasing in the flow direction of refrigerant.   
     
     
         12 . The linear compressor of  claim 11 , wherein each flow tube includes the plurality of variable portions inside of the flow tube. 
     
     
         13 . The linear compressor of  claim 11 , wherein the muffler includes:
 a first muffler, at least a part of the first muffler being configured to be located inside of the piston;   a second muffler configured to couple to a rear portion of the first muffler; and   a third muffler configured to accommodate the second muffler and to couple to a rear portion of the piston, and   wherein the plurality of flow tubes include a first flow tube located at the first muffler and a second flow tube located at the second muffler.   
     
     
         14 . The linear compressor of  claim 13 , wherein each of the first flow tube and the second flow tube includes the plurality of variable portions,
 wherein a cross-sectional area of an outlet of the first flow tube is greater than a cross-sectional area of an inlet of the first flow tube, and   wherein a cross-sectional area of an outlet of the second flow tube is greater than a cross-sectional area of an inlet of the second flow tube.   
     
     
         15 . The linear compressor of  claim 13 , wherein the first flow tube includes the plurality of variable portions, and
 wherein an inside of the first flow tube defines a plurality of stages that are arranged in the flow direction of refrigerant, cross-sectional areas of the plurality of stages being different from each other.   
     
     
         16 . The linear compressor of  claim 15 , wherein the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of stages increase from the inlet of the muffler to the outlet of the muffler. 
     
     
         17 . The linear compressor of  claim 13 , wherein the first flow tube and the second flow tube extend in the flow direction of refrigerant, and
 wherein the first flow tube and the second flow tube are spaced apart from each other in the flow direction of refrigerant.   
     
     
         18 . The linear compressor of  claim 17 , wherein the first muffler includes:
 a first coupling portion that extends radially outward from the first flow tube; and   a first suction portion that extends rearward of the first coupling portion toward the second muffler and that is configured to contact the second muffler, and   wherein the second muffler includes a second coupling portion that extends radially outward from the second flow tube, the second muffler extending toward the first suction portion and being configured to contact the first suction portion.   
     
     
         19 . The linear compressor of  claim 18 , wherein the first flow tube includes an inlet corresponding to a first end of the first flow tube, and an outlet corresponding to a second end of the first flow tube opposite to the first end of the first flow tube, and
 wherein the inlet of the first flow tube faces the second muffler, and is located inside of the first suction portion,   wherein the second flow tube includes an inlet corresponding to a first end of the second flow tube and an outlet corresponding to a second end of the second flow tube opposite to the first end of the second flow tube,   wherein the outlet of the second flow tube faces the first muffler, and is located inside of the second coupling portion, and   wherein (i) a diameter of the inlet of the first flow tube is different from a diameter of the outlet of the first flow tube, or (ii) a diameter of the inlet of the second flow tube is different from a diameter of the outlet of the second flow tube.   
     
     
         20 . The linear compressor of  claim 19 , wherein the diameter of the outlet of the second flow tube is greater than the diameter of the inlet of the second flow tube,
 wherein the diameter of the inlet of the first flow tube is greater than the diameter of the outlet of the second flow tube, and   wherein the diameter of the outlet of the first flow tube is greater than the diameter of the inlet of the first flow tube.