US 4,229,145 AGranted

Swash plate compressor

AssigneeDiesel Kiki Co., Ltd.

InventorYutaka Isizuka

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Abstract

The bottom portion of a swash plate extends into oil in a sump to splash oil onto the remainder of the swash plate and the members connecting the swash plate to pistons. The splashed oil is partially atomized in a portion of the sump above the liquid oil level, from which a passageway leads to an inlet chamber. The passageway extends through radial and thrust bearings for the swash plate drive shaft. The low pressure in the inlet chamber causes atomized oil from the sump to flow through the passageway and lubricate the radial and thrust bearings. A clearance is provided around the pistons to pressurize the sump and increase the flow rate of oil through the passageway.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A swash plate compressor comprising, in combination:

a housing defining an inlet chamber having an inlet pipe through which refrigerant fluid is introduced, an outlet chamber having an outlet pipe and a piston chamber, the housing being provided with first and second hubs, a bottom portion of the housing constituting a lubricating fluid reservoir containing liquid oil;
a piston reciprocally slidable in the piston chamber;
valve means operatively connecting the piston chamber to the inlet and outlet chambers and comprising first and second valve plates, each being formed with a hole;
a drive shaft rotatably supported within the housing, the drive shaft extending through the hubs of the housing and the hole of the second valve plate, the diameter of the hole of the second valve plate being larger than the diameter of the drive shaft;
a swash plate fixed for rotation with the drive shaft and being operatively connected to the piston to reciprocate the piston in the piston chamber, the swash plate being arranged to partially extend below a lubricating liquid oil level in the reservoir to thereby splash the oil within the housing and atomize the oil in a portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level;
first and second thrust bearings disposed between the swash plate and the first and second hubs respectively, the first and second valve plates being disposed between the inlet chamber and the first and second thrust bearings respectively;
first and second journal bearings supported by the first and second hubs respectively within the housing to rotatably support the drive shaft, said journal bearings having a sliding contact portion extending over a longitudinal portion of the journal bearing to slidingly support said drive shaft with a clearance being provided between said sliding contact portion and said drive shaft;
first and second passageways connecting the portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level with the inlet chamber, the first passageway extending through the portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level, the first thrust bearing, a first clearance defined between the drive shaft and the hub, the clearance between the drive shaft and the sliding contact portion of the first journal bearing, the hole of the first valve plate and the inlet chamber, the second passageway extending through the portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level, the second thrust bearing, a second clearance defined between the drive shaft and the second hub, the clearance between the drive shaft and the sliding contact portion of the second journal bearing, the hole in the second valve plate and the inlet chamber, and
a third passageway providing communication between the piston chamber and the portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level, the third passageway comprising third and fourth clearances provided between an outer surface of the piston and the inner surface of the piston chamber, the third and fourth clearances constituting part of the first and second passageways, the longitudinal width of the sliding contact portions of the journal bearings being variable so that the pressure difference between the first clearance and the hole of the first valve plate and the pressure difference between the second clearance and the hole of the second valve plate are optimally provided, whereby the liquid oil is circulated through the first, second and third passageways.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A swash plate compressor comprising, in combination:

a housing defining an inlet chamber having an inlet pipe through which refrigerant fluid is introduced, an outlet chamber having an outlet pipe and a piston chamber, the housing being provided with first and second hubs, a bottom portion of the housing constituting a lubricating fluid reservoir containing liquid oil;
a piston reciprocally slidable in the piston chamber;
valve means operatively connecting the piston chamber to the inlet and outlet chambers and comprising first and second valve plates, each being formed with a hole;
a drive shaft rotatably supported within the housing, the drive shaft extending through the hubs of the housing and the hole of the second valve plate, the diameter of the hole of the second valve plate being larger than the diameter of the drive shaft;
a swash plate fixed for rotation with the drive shaft and being operatively connected to the piston to reciprocate the piston in the piston chamber, the swash plate being arranged to partially extend below a lubricating liquid oil level in the reservoir to thereby splash the oil within the housing and atomize the oil in a portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level;
first and second thrust bearings disposed between the swash plate and the first and second hubs respectively, the first and second valve plates being disposed between the inlet chamber and the first and second thrust bearings respectively;
first and second journal bearings supported by the first and second hubs respectively within the housing to rotatably support the drive shaft, said journal bearings having a sliding contact portion extending over a longitudinal portion of the journal bearing to slidingly support said drive shaft with a clearance being provided between said sliding contact portion and said drive shaft;
first and second passageways connecting the portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level with the inlet chamber, the first passageway extending through the portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level, the first thrust bearing, a first clearance defined between the drive shaft and the hub, the clearance between the drive shaft and the sliding contact portion of the first journal bearing, the hole of the first valve plate and the inlet chamber, the second passageway extending through the portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level, the second thrust bearing, a second clearance defined between the drive shaft and the second hub, the clearance between the drive shaft and the sliding contact portion of the second journal bearing, the hole in the second valve plate and the inlet chamber, and
a third passageway providing communication between the piston chamber and the portion of the reservoir above the liquid oil level, the third passageway comprising third and fourth clearances provided between an outer surface of the piston and the inner surface of the piston chamber, the third and fourth clearances constituting part of the first and second passageways, the longitudinal width of the sliding contact portions of the journal bearings being variable so that the pressure difference between the first clearance and the hole of the first valve plate and the pressure difference between the second clearance and the hole of the second valve plate are optimally provided, whereby the liquid oil is circulated through the first, second and third passageways.

6 more elements