Linear compressor

A linear compressor comprising:

• a shell;
• an intake pipe disposed at the shell and configured to supply a refrigerant into the shell;
• a cylinder disposed inside the shell;
• a piston disposed inside the cylinder and configured to reciprocate relative to the cylinder, the piston comprising a piston body and a piston flange;
• and
• an intake muffler coupled to the piston and configured to carry the refrigerant supplied through the intake pipe into the piston body to thereby reduce a flow noise of the refrigerant,
• wherein the intake muffler comprises:
• a first muffler disposed inside the piston body, the first muffler comprising (i) a first muffler body that defines a first refrigerant flow passage extending in an axial direction and (ii) a first muffler flange that extends radially outward from the first muffler body and defines a first communication portion,
• a second muffler that is disposed rearward relative to the first muffler in a direction away from the piston body and in fluid communication with the first muffler, the second muffler comprising (i) a second muffler body that defines a second refrigerant flow passage extending in the axial direction and (ii) a second muffler flange that extends radially outward from the second muffler body and defines a second communication portion, and
• a third muffler that extends toward the piston body and accommodates the second muffler and a portion of a rear end of the first muffler,
• wherein the second communication portion of the second muffler is defined at the second muffler flange outside the second muffler body and in fluid communication with the first communication portion of the first muffler through a space between the first muffler and the second muffler,
• wherein a discharge space is defined between the piston body and the first muffler body, and
• wherein the third muffler defines an inner space that is configured to receive the refrigerant from the discharge space through the first and second communication portions based on the piston moving rearward from a first position facing a front end of the cylinder toward a second position disposed rearward relative to the first position.