The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 03, 1992
Filed:
Feb. 13, 1991
Hitoshi Hattori, Yokohama, JP;
Katumasa Araoka, Kawasaki, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Kawasaki, JP;
Abstract
A gas expansion engine in a refrigerating cycle is disclosed and, in particular, a gas expansion engine is provided which includes a cylinder and piston to define a variable-capacity expansion chamber therebetween. The piston is reciprocably inserted into the cylinder and is coupled to a motion conversion mechanism through a piston rod. One ball-and-socket joint is provided at at least one of a location between the piston rod and the piston and a location between the piston rod and the motion conversion mechanism. A ball-and-socket joint comprises a first member having a spherical convex surface section, a second member having a spherically concave surface section fitted into the spherically convex surface section of the first member and providing a joint boundary area with the first member, a slide mechanism for slidably moving the first member or second member in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston in accordance with an outer force, and an elastic member for providing a pressure contact force on an area between the spherically convex surface section and the spherically concave surface section.