Swash-plate type compressor having low noise thrust bearings

In a swash-plate type compressor including:

• a pair of cylinder blocks combined together in axial alignment, said combined cylinder blocks each having an axial hole extending along an axis thereof and a plurality of cylinder bores axially extending therethrough in circumferentially spaced relation;
• a drive shaft inserted in said axial holes of said cylinder blocks;
• a plurality of pistons slidably received within respective ones of said cylinder bores;
• and a swash plate engaging with said pistons and rigidly fitted at a boss thereof on said drive shaft, said boss having opposite end faces, each of said opposite end faces being substantially flat and extending substantially straight and substantially radially of said drive shaft over a substantially whole area thereof, said combined cylinder blocks having a pair of central seating portions facing opposite said end faces of said boss of said swash plate, said central seating portions having end faces facing said end faces of said boss, each of said end faces of said central seating portions being substantially flat and extending substantially straight and substantially radially of said drive shaft over a substantially whole area thereof, said axial holes of said cylinder blocks opening in end faces of respective ones of said central seating portions facing said swash plate;
• the improvement comprising a pair of thrust bearings arranged at opposite ends of said swash plate for supporting thrust loads caused by said swash plate, said pair of thrust bearings each comprising:
• a plurality of seats, each seat being in the form of a blind hole, said seats being formed in the substantially flat end face of a corresponding one of said central seating portions and arranged around a corresponding one of said axial holes and in circumferentially spaced relation;
• and
• a plurality of bearing members corresponding in number to said seats, said bearing members each having no fluid passage formed therein and each having one end portion thereof slidably fitted in a corresponding one of said seats;
• said seats each having a hole shape corresponding to the shape of said one end portion of a corresponding one of said bearing members for receiving a corresponding one of said bearing members therein;
• said bearing members each having another formed with an end face being substantially planar over a substantially whole area thereof such that said substantially planar end faces of said another ends of said bearing members have no recess formed therein, said bearing members each having said substantially planar end face thereof disposed in slidable contact with an associated end face of said boss of said swash plate along a substantially whole area thereof;
• and
• said end faces of said boss of said swash plate being slightly spaced by said bearing members from said opposite end faces of said central seating portions of said combined cylinder blocks.