US 6,439,857 B1Granted

Axial piston compressor

AssigneeHaldex Brake Corporation

InventorsRobert L. Koelzer, Andrew W. Adams, Mark D. Schaake, Michael R. Jenkins

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An axial piston compressor produces air supplied to an air system of a vehicle, typically a heavy duty truck through a plurality of pistons held within a stationary block, and the movement of the pistons is predicated through the control of a pivotal swash plate. The pistons are idle in a neutral position of the swash plate, wherein a pressure above the pistons in the cylinder block counterbalances a thrust generated by an actuator upon the plate positioned in a plane extending perpendicular to a drive shaft. The plate oscillates in response to a pressure drop above the pistons causing the actuator to expand toward the plate and exert a thrust exceeding the lowered pressure above the pistons and enabling the swash plate to provide the pistons with reciprocal motion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An axial piston compressor for supplying compressed air to an air system upon lowering the pressure in the air system to or below a reference value comprising:

an elongated drive shaft extending between opposite ends along an axis;
a cylinder block mounted on one end of the shaft and having spaced apart cylinder bores surrounding the shaft and being in flow communication with the air system;
pistons slidably received in the cylinder bores;
a swash plate pivotally mounted on the shaft and connected to the pistons;
and
an actuator axially spaced from the cylinder block and displaceable along the other end of the shaft in response to a pressure change in the air system between a first position, wherein the actuator exerts a thrust upon the swash plate equal at least to the reference value to support the swash plate in a plane perpendicular to the shaft and to keep the pistons idle, and a second position, wherein the thrust exerted by the actuator exceeds the lowered pressure of the air system to pivotally displace the swash plate relative to the shaft and to cause the reciprocal motion of the pistons in the cylinder bores.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/804,013Filed 12 Mar 2001
Published: US 2002/0127116 A112 Sep 2002
Granted: 27 Aug 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

F04B 27/18
Of pumps with stationary cylinders: by varying the relative positions of a swash plate and a cylinder block
F04B 27/0882
Pistons: piston shoe retaining means
F04B 27/1054
Component parts, details, e.g. sealings, lubrication: actuating elements
F04B 49/22
Control , e.g. of pump delivery, or pump pressure of, or safety measures for, machines, pumps, or pumping installations, not otherwise provided…:…