Output control apparatus for linear compressor and method of the same

• US 6,176,683 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yang, Soon-Bae
• Primary Examiner(s): Thorpe, Timothy S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Solak, Timothy P.
• Application Number:
  US09/301,027
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 417/44.1, 417/44.11, 417/45, 417/417, 417/212, 417/53, 73/116, 73/118.1, 73/168
• US Class Current: 417/44.1
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0401 Current
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0402 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/045 using solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/12 by varying the length of stroke of the working members

Abstract

An output control apparatus for a linear compressor and a method of the same are disclosed. In the conventional art, when controlling an output of the linear compressor using a stroke, it is possible to implement a constant stroke. However, since the intermediate position of the piston is varied, it is impossible to constantly implement a top dead point. Therefore, an output control of the linear compressor is difficult, and a higher efficiency is not easily implemented. In addition, there is a problem for constantly controlling an output of the linear compressor. Therefore, in the present invention, the timing when the piston and discharge valve collide with each other is determined, and a certain degree of stroke is determined as a control reference stroke based on the thusly determined stroke for thereby controlling the stroke and driving a linear compressor, and then the linear compressor is driven by controlling the stroke, so that it is possible control an output having no deviation in accordance with the system, whereby a higher efficiency operation is implemented irrespective of the size of the load.

Claims

1. An output control apparatus for a linear compressor, comprising:

a voltage controller for supplying a driving voltage for driving a compressor;

a stroke computation unit for receiving a voltage and current detected by a voltage and current sensor when driving the compressor and computing a stroke based on the received voltage and current;

a collision detection sensor for detecting a vibration at the time when a piston collides with a discharge valve when driving the compressor;

a collision detection unit for detecting whether a collision detection signal is generated due to the vibration detected by the collision detection sensor;

a microcomputer for determining a control destination stroke based on a stroke generated from the stroke computation unit; and

a driving unit for outputting a voltage driving signal to the voltage controller in accordance with a control destination stroke outputted from the microcomputer.

2. An output control method for a linear compressor, comprising:

a first step for storing a stroke outputted from a stroke computation unit;

a second step for judging whether a collision has occurred between a piston installed in a compressor and a discharge valve;

a third step for resetting a control destination stroke based on the stroke stored in the first step when a collision is detected in the second step and controlling an output of the linear compressor based on the newly set control destination stroke; and

a fourth step for obtaining the control setting stroke stored in the first step when a collision is not detected in the second step.

3. An output control method for a linear compressor, comprising:

a first step for computing an operating stroke based on a voltage and current inputted;

a second step for storing a maximum current value for a predetermined time set by a user when driving the linear compressor;

a third step for comparing the stored maximum current value with a reference current value corresponding to a collision;

a fourth step for calculating a new control destination stroke based on the current stroke when the maximum current value is greater than the reference current value in the third step and controlling an output of the linear compressor based on the set control destination stroke; and

a fifth step for controlling an output of the linear compressor based on the previously set control destination stroke when the maximum current value is smaller than the reference current value in the third step.