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US 10,240,821 B2Granted
Stirling engine displacer drive
AssigneeFLIR Systems, Inc.
InventorUri Bin-Nun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cryocooler is provided that includes: a regenerator piston; a drive coupler; and a link flexure having a proximal end coupled by a first pin to the drive coupler and having a distal end coupled by a second pin to the regenerator piston, where the link flexure forms a vane having flattened opposing faces that are orthogonal to a longitudinal axis for the first and second pin.
Claims20
A cryocooler, comprising:
- a drive coupler;
- a motor shaft for driving the drive coupler;
- a regenerator piston;
- and
- a link flexure having a proximal end coupled by a first pin to the drive coupler and having a distal end coupled by a second pin to the regenerator piston,
- wherein the link flexure forms a vane having flattened opposing faces that are aligned orthogonally to a longitudinal axis of the motor shaft.
3 more elements
A cryocooler link flexure for connecting between a drive coupler and a regenerator piston, the cryocooler link flexure comprising:
- an elongated shaft forming a vane having opposing flat faces extending between a proximal end and a distal end,
- wherein the distal end is configured to receive a regenerator connecting pin to couple the distal end to the regenerator piston and the proximal end is configured to receive a drive coupler connecting pin to couple the proximal end to the drive coupler,
- wherein a longitudinal axis of the regenerator connecting pin is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive coupler connecting pin, and
- wherein the opposing flat faces are orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of a motor shaft for driving the drive coupler such that the link flexure is configured to allow the drive coupler to produce a reciprocating motion for the regenerator piston and to orient the opposing flat faces of the link flexure relative to the regenerator piston and the motor shaft to provide flex to accommodate a relative alignment between the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft and a longitudinal axis of the regenerator piston substantially without inducing additional frictional contact between the regenerator piston and a cylinder wall.
1 more element
A method of cooling an object, the method comprising:
- reciprocating a regenerator piston within a cold finger to cool a distal end of the cold finger proximate the object;
- driving the reciprocation of the regenerator piston by rotating a motor shaft that drives a drive coupler;
- and
- flexing a link flexure that links the drive coupler and the regenerator piston to accommodate a relative alignment between a longitudinal axis of the motor shaft and a longitudinal axis of the regenerator piston, wherein the link flexure forms a vane with flattened opposing faces, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft is aligned orthogonally to the flattened opposing faces.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.