Patent US4475346A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4475346A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Refrigeration system with linear motor trimming of displacer movement

Assignee: Azenta Inc
•
Filing: 1982-12-06
•
Granted: 1984-10-09
•
Expires: 2002-12-06
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A split Stirling refrigerator includes a pneumatically driven displacer, the displacer is driven substantially through an entire stroke by the pressure differential across a piston element extending from the displacer. A small linear trimming motor is provided to assure proper phasing of the displacer movement with the refrigerator pressure wave, to prevent overstroke, and to assure complete stroke of the displacer.

Inventors

  • 👤 Neils O. Young
  • 👤 Robert Henderson
  • 👤 Peter J. Kerney

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 13:27
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25B; F25B9/00; F25B9/14; F01; F01B; F01B11/00; F01B11/02; F02; F02G; F02G1/00; F02G1/04; F02G1/043; F02G1/0435; F02G1/044; F02G1/0445; F02G1/053; F02G1/0535; F02G2250/00; F02G2250/18; F25B2309/00; F25B2309/001; F25B2309/003

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 173 words
A refrigerator having a gas displacer which reciprocates in a housing to displace gas in a working volume of gas through a regenerator, the fluid pressure in the working volume varying between maximum and minimum pressures, the refrigerator further comprising: a spring volume of gas having a fluid pressure intermediate the maximum and minimum pressures in the working volume; a piston element extending axially from the displacer into the spring volume, the cross sectional areas of the piston element and the displacer being such that the pressure differential across the piston element, between the working volume and the spring volume, drives the displacer through a substantially full stroke, substantially retarded relative to the fluid pressure in the working volume, in each direction; and electrically powered linear motor drive means for driving the displacer in each of two directions to trim the movement of the displacer resulting from the pressure differential across the piston the load handling capability of the linear motor drive means being substantially less than the load of the driven displacer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 173 words
A refrigerator having a gas displacer which reciprocates in a housing to displace gas in a working volume of gas through a regenerator, the fluid pressure in the working volume varying between maximum and minimum pressures, the refrigerator further comprising: a spring volume of gas having a fluid pressure intermediate the maximum and minimum pressures in the working volume; a piston element extending axially from the displacer into the spring volume, the cross sectional areas of the piston element and the displacer being such that the pressure differential across the piston element, between the working volume and the spring volume, drives the displacer through a substantially full stroke, substantially retarded relative to the fluid pressure in the working volume, in each direction; and electrically powered linear motor drive means for driving the displacer in each of two directions to trim the movement of the displacer resulting from the pressure differential across the piston the load handling capability of the linear motor drive means being substantially less than the load of the driven displacer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1 comprising sensor means for sensing position of the displacer, wherein the electrically powered linear drive means is responsive to the sensed position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 46 words
A refrigerator as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electrically powered linear drive means is energized to assure a full stroke of the displacer, to prevent overstroke of the displacer and to assure a proper phase relationship between the displacer and the working fluid pressure waves.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
A refrigerator as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electrically powered linear drive means is energized in response to the direction of movement signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrically powered linear drive means is energized to assure full stroke of the displacer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrically powered linear drive means is energized to prevent overstroke of the displacer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 30 words
A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrically powered linear drive means is energized to assure proper phasing of the displacer relative to the working fluid pressure wave.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 14 words
A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, that refrigerator being a split Stirling refrigerator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 177 words
A refrigerator having a gas displacer which reciprocates in a housing to displace gas in a working volume of gas through a regenerator, the fluid pressure in the working volume varying between maximum and minimum pressures, the refrigerator further comprising: a spring volume of gas having a fluid pressure intermediate the maximum and minimum pressures in the working volume; a piston element extending axially from the displacer into the spring volume, the cross sectional area of the piston element being such that the pressure differential across the piston element, between the working volume and the spring volume, drives the displacer element through a substantially full stroke in each direction; sensor means for sensing the axial position of the displacer; and electrically powered linear drive means responsive to the sensor means for driving the displacer in each of two directions to trim phasing and amplitude of the movement of the displacer resulting from the pressure differential across the piston the load handling capability of the linear drive means being substantially less than the load of the driven displacer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 177 words
A refrigerator having a gas displacer which reciprocates in a housing to displace gas in a working volume of gas through a regenerator, the fluid pressure in the working volume varying between maximum and minimum pressures, the refrigerator further comprising: a spring volume of gas having a fluid pressure intermediate the maximum and minimum pressures in the working volume; a piston element extending axially from the displacer into the spring volume, the cross sectional area of the piston element being such that the pressure differential across the piston element, between the working volume and the spring volume, drives the displacer element through a substantially full stroke in each direction; sensor means for sensing the axial position of the displacer; and electrically powered linear drive means responsive to the sensor means for driving the displacer in each of two directions to trim phasing and amplitude of the movement of the displacer resulting from the pressure differential across the piston the load handling capability of the linear drive means being substantially less than the load of the driven displacer.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3220201A Cited
US3991586A Cited
US4389850A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-10-09 1988-04-09 1988-10-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-10-09 1992-04-09 1992-10-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-10-09 1996-04-09 1996-10-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag