EP1531266A2 - Variable displacement compressor - Google Patents
Variable displacement compressor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1531266A2 EP1531266A2 EP04026808A EP04026808A EP1531266A2 EP 1531266 A2 EP1531266 A2 EP 1531266A2 EP 04026808 A EP04026808 A EP 04026808A EP 04026808 A EP04026808 A EP 04026808A EP 1531266 A2 EP1531266 A2 EP 1531266A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- cam
- drive shaft
- support
- guide projection
- plate
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
- F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
- F04B27/10—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis having stationary cylinders
- F04B27/1036—Component parts, details, e.g. sealings, lubrication
- F04B27/1054—Actuating elements
- F04B27/1072—Pivot mechanisms
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
- F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
- F04B27/0873—Component parts, e.g. sealings; Manufacturing or assembly thereof
- F04B27/0878—Pistons
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
- F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
- F04B27/0873—Component parts, e.g. sealings; Manufacturing or assembly thereof
- F04B27/0891—Component parts, e.g. sealings; Manufacturing or assembly thereof casings, housings
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
- F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
- F04B27/0873—Component parts, e.g. sealings; Manufacturing or assembly thereof
- F04B27/0895—Component parts, e.g. sealings; Manufacturing or assembly thereof driving means
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
- F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
- F04B27/10—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis having stationary cylinders
- F04B27/1036—Component parts, details, e.g. sealings, lubrication
- F04B27/1054—Actuating elements
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B27/00—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders
- F04B27/08—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis
- F04B27/10—Multi-cylinder pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders having cylinders coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main shaft axis having stationary cylinders
- F04B27/1036—Component parts, details, e.g. sealings, lubrication
- F04B27/1081—Casings, housings
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- F05B2210/00—Working fluid
- F05B2210/10—Kind or type
- F05B2210/12—Kind or type gaseous, i.e. compressible
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- F05B2210/00—Working fluid
- F05B2210/10—Kind or type
- F05B2210/14—Refrigerants with particular properties, e.g. HFC-134a
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- F05B2250/00—Geometry
- F05B2250/10—Geometry two-dimensional
- F05B2250/19—Geometry two-dimensional machined; miscellaneous
- F05B2250/192—Geometry two-dimensional machined; miscellaneous beveled
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- F05B2260/00—Function
- F05B2260/40—Transmission of power
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- F05B2260/00—Function
- F05B2260/50—Kinematic linkage, i.e. transmission of position
- F05B2260/506—Kinematic linkage, i.e. transmission of position using cams or eccentrics
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a compressor, and more particularly, to a variable displacement compressor used in a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner.
- a variable displacement compressor used in a refrigerant circuit includes a housing that has cylinder bores and rotatably supports a drive shaft.
- the drive shaft supports a swash plate in an inclinable manner.
- a lug plate is fixed to the drive shaft to rotate integrally with the drive shaft.
- a hinge mechanism is arranged between the lug plate and the swash plate.
- a piston reciprocates in each cylinder bore. The piston is connected to a peripheral portion of the swash plate.
- the hinge mechanism guides the swash plate and alters the inclination angle of the swash plate to change the stroke of the pistons. In this manner, the displacement of the variable displacement compressor is varied.
- Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-289159 describes an example of a hinge mechanism used in a variable displacement compressor.
- a swash plate 101 has an end face 101a facing towards a lug plate 102 (thrust flange).
- a link pin 103 is arranged in the end face 101a.
- Spherical projections 103a and 103b project from opposite sides of the link pin 103.
- the lug plate 102 has an end face 102c facing towards the swash plate 101.
- a guide groove 102a for guiding the spherical projection 103a and a guide groove 102b for guiding the spherical projection 103b are provided near the end face 102c.
- the lug plate 102 rotates in the direction of arrow R (rotation direction R) as shown in Fig. 1. More specifically, when the lug plate 102 is viewed from the side facing away from the end face 102c, the lug plate 102 rotates in the clockwise direction.
- the guide groove 102a which is located forward to the link pin 103 in the rotation direction R, does not transmit torque from the lug plate 102 to the swash plate 101.
- the other guide groove 102b transmits torque from the lug plate 102 to the swash plate 101. Accordingly, the guide groove 102b must be long enough and deep enough to accommodate and guide the spherical projection 103b.
- the wall of the guide groove 102b must come into contact with the spherical projection 103b to transmit force to the spherical projection 103b in the rotation direction R. More specifically, the wall of the guide groove 102b must come into contact from the rearward side of the spherical projection 103b with respect to the rotation direction R.
- the guide groove 102a which does not transmit torque to the swash plate 101, does not have to be deep and long. Further, contact between the wall of the guide groove 102a and the spherical projection 103a is not required for the transmission of torque from the lug plate 102 to the swash plate 101, inclination of the swash plate 101, and for receiving the compression reaction applied to the swash plate 101 pistons.
- the guide groove 102a which does not transmit torque to the swash plate 101, has a wall located forward to the spherical projection 103a in the rotation direction R. Further, the distance between the spherical projection 103a and the spherical projection 103b is small. The distance between the guide groove 102a and the guide groove 102b is also small. Thus, the support of the lug plate 102 by the swash plate 101 is insufficient.
- Compression reaction produced by the pistons may act on the swash plate 101 in an eccentric manner as shown by arrow X, which indicates the load center of the reaction. This may incline the swash plate 101 in a direction differing from the direction that the swash plate 101 inclines when varying the displacement. In such a case, the spherical projections 103a and 103b contact the walls of the guide grooves 102a and 102b in a manner differing from how they were designed to do so. This would increase sliding resistance between the walls of the guide grooves 102a and 102b and the associated spherical projections 103a and 103b, and may decrease the controllability of the displacement of the variable displacement compressor.
- the present invention provides a variable displacement compressor having a hinge mechanism that is easily machined.
- One embodiment of the present invention is a compressor that transmits rotation of a drive shaft from a lug plate to a cam plate, reciprocates a piston as the cam plate rotates to compress gas, and alters an inclination angle of the cam plate to vary displacement.
- the compressor includes a hinge mechanism arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate.
- the hinge mechanism includes a support formed on the cam plate.
- a first guide projection extends from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates.
- a second guide projection extends from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates.
- a first cam, formed on the lug plate in a manner surrounding the first guide projection guides the first guide projection.
- a second cam is formed on the lug plate and includes a cam surface for contacting and guiding the second guide projection.
- a further embodiment of the present invention is a compressor including a housing, a cylinder bore formed in the housing, and a drive shaft supported in the housing in a rotatable manner.
- a lug plate is connected to the drive shaft to rotate integrally with the drive shaft.
- a cam plate is supported by the drive shaft in an inclinable manner.
- the cam plate has a first surface facing towards the lug plate.
- the lug plate has a second surface facing towards the first surface of the cam plate.
- a piston has an end connected to the cam plate and reciprocated in the cylinder bore.
- a hinge mechanism is arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate.
- the hinge mechanism includes a support formed on the first surface.
- a first guide projection extends from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates.
- a second guide projection extends from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates.
- a first cam formed on the second surface in a manner surrounding the first guide projection, guides the first guide projection.
- a second cam is formed on the second surface and includes a cam surface for contacting and guiding the second guide projection.
- FIG. 1 Another embodiment of the present invention is a compressor including a housing, a cylinder bore formed in the housing, and a drive shaft supported in the housing in a rotatable manner.
- a lug plate is connected to the drive shaft to rotate integrally with the drive shaft.
- a cam plate is supported by the drive shaft in an inclinable manner.
- the cam plate has a first surface facing towards the lug plate.
- the lug plate has a second surface facing towards the first surface of the cam plate.
- a piston having an end connected to the cam plate is reciprocated in the cylinder bore.
- a hinge mechanism is arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate. The hinge mechanism has a support formed on the first surface and including an insertion hole.
- a pin is inserted through the insertion hole and has a spherical portion and a rotatable roller.
- the spherical portion extends from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates.
- the roller extends from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates.
- a first cam is formed on the second surface and includes a groove surrounding and guiding the spherical portion.
- a second cam is formed on the second surface and includes a cam surface for contacting and guiding the roller.
- variable displacement compressor 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 4.
- the compressor 10 is used in a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner.
- Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the compressor 10.
- the left side as viewed in Fig. 2 will be referred to as the front side of the compressor 10, and the right side will be referred to as the rear side of the compressor 10.
- the compressor 10 has a housing 10a, which includes a cylinder block 11, a front housing 12 fixed to the front end of the cylinder block 11, and a rear housing 14 fixed to the rear end of the cylinder block 11 by way of a valve plate 13.
- a crank chamber 15 is defined in the housing 10a between the cylinder block 11 and the front housing 12.
- a drive shaft 16 extending through the crank chamber 15 is supported in a rotatable manner between the cylinder block 11 and the front housing 12.
- the drive shaft 16 is connected to an engine (not shown), which functions as a drive source for the vehicle.
- the drive shaft 16 is powered by the engine and rotated in the direction indicated by arrow R.
- a generally disk-like lug plate 17 is fixed to the drive shaft 16 in the crank chamber 15 to rotate integrally with the drive shaft 16.
- the crank chamber 15 accommodates a swash plate 18, which functions as a cam plate.
- a hinge mechanism 19 is arranged between the lug plate 17 and the swash plate 18.
- the swash plate 18 is connected to the lug plate 17 by the hinge mechanism 19 and supported by the drive shaft 16 at the shaft hole 18a.
- the swash plate 18 rotates synchronously with the lug plate 17 and the drive shaft 16. Further, the swash plate 18 inclines relative to the drive shaft 16 as it slides along the drive shaft 16 in the axial direction.
- a plurality of (only one shown in Fig. 2) equally spaced cylinder bores 27 extend through the cylinder block 11 about the axis T of the drive shaft 16.
- a single-headed piston 28 reciprocates in each cylinder bore 27.
- the piston 28 closes the front opening of the cylinder bore 27.
- the front side of the valve plate 13 closes the rear opening of the cylinder bore 27.
- a compression chamber 29 is defined in the cylinder bore 27. The volume of the compression chamber 29 changes in accordance with the reciprocation of the piston 28.
- the piston 28 is connected to the peripheral portion of the swash plate 18 by a pair of shoes 30.
- a suction chamber 31 and a discharge chamber 40 are defined between the valve plate 13 and the rear housing 14.
- the valve plate 13 includes a suction port 32 and a suction valve 33 located between each compression chamber 29 and the suction chamber 31. Further, the valve plate 13 includes a discharge port 34 and a discharge valve 35 located between each compression chamber 29 and the discharge chamber 40.
- refrigerant gas carbon dioxide in the preferred embodiment
- the refrigerant gas in the compression chamber 29 is compressed to a predetermined pressure and discharged into the discharge chamber 40 through the associated discharge port 34 and discharge valve 35.
- a bleed passage 36, a gas supply passage 37, and a control valve 38 are provided in the housing 10a of the compressor 10.
- the bleed passage 36 connects the crank chamber 15 and the suction chamber 31.
- the gas supply passage 37 connects the discharge chamber 40 and the crank chamber 15.
- the control valve 38 which is known in the art, is arranged in the gas supply passage 37.
- the open amount of the control valve 38 is adjusted to control the balance between the amount of high-pressure discharge gas delivered into the crank chamber 15 through the gas supply passage 37 and the amount of gas delivered out of the crank chamber 15 through the bleed passage 36. This determines the internal pressure of the crank chamber 15.
- the internal pressure of the crank chamber 15 changes, the difference between the internal pressure of the crank chamber 15 and the internal pressure of the compression chambers 29 also changes. This alters the inclination angle of the swash plate 18 (the angle of the swash plate 18 relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis T of the drive shaft 16). In this manner, the stroke of the pistons 28, or the displacement of the compressor 10, is adjusted.
- a decrease in the internal pressure of the crank chamber 15 increases the inclination of the swash plate 18. This lengthens the stroke of the pistons 28,and increases the displacement of the compressor 10. Conversely, an increase in the internal pressure of the crank chamber 15 decreases the inclination of the swash plate 18. This shortens the stroke of the pistons 28 and decreases the displacement of the compressor 10.
- the hinge mechanism 19 will now be discussed.
- the swash plate 18 has an end face 18b facing towards the lug plate 17.
- a support 20 projects from the end face 18b toward the lug plate 17.
- the support 20 is located near a portion of the swash plate 18 that moves each piston 28 to the top dead center position. This portion of the swash plate 18 is referred to as a top dead center correspondence position P.
- a middle plane S is defined in the middle of the support 20 where the distal edge of the support 20 is equally divided into two.
- the middle plane S lies along a plane parallel to a plane including the axis T of the drive shaft 16 and the top dead center correspondence position P.
- the middle plane S is offset from the top dead center correspondence position P in the rotational direction R of the drive shaft 16.
- An insertion hole 20a extends through the support 20 in a direction perpendicular to the middle plane S.
- a link pin 21 is press-fitted and fixed in the insertion hole 20a of the support 20.
- the link pin 21 includes a first end portion 21a (right end as viewed in Fig. 2) and a second end portion 21b (left end as viewed in Fig. 2), which extend from the support 20.
- the second end portion 21b is located forward to the first end portion 21a in the rotation direction R. In other wards, the first end portion 21a extends from the support 20 in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft 16 rotates. Further, the second end portion 21b extends from the support 20 in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft 16 rotates.
- the second end portion 21b of the link pin 21 supports a cylindrical roller 22 (second guide projection) in a rotatable manner.
- a snap ring 26 (stopper) is attached to the second end portion 21b to prevent the roller 22 from falling off the link pin 21.
- the top dead center correspondence position P of the swash plate 18 is located between the roller 22 and the spherical projection 23.
- the distance between the roller 22 (specifically, plane M1 lying along the outer end face of the roller 22) and the top dead center correspondence position P is longer than the distance between the spherical projection 23 (specifically, plane M2 including the center of the spherical projection 23 and parallel to the middle plane S of the support 20) and the top dead center correspondence position P.
- the minimum distance between the spherical projection 23 and the support 20 is longer than the minimum distance between the roller 22 and the support 20.
- the lug plate 17 has an end face 17a facing towards the swash plate 18.
- a first cam 24 is formed on the end face 17a.
- the first cam 24 includes an inner surface 24a, which defines a relatively long and deep groove to guide the spherical projection 23.
- the inner surface 24a of the first cam 24 defines the wall of the groove that surrounds the spherical projection 23 from three directions, that is, from the rear with respect to the rotation direction R, from the direction of the swash plate 18, and from the direction of the lug plate 17.
- the inner surface 24a of the first cam 24 is sloped so that the disk portion of the lug plate 17 becomes farther as the drive shaft 16 becomes closer.
- a second cam 25 is formed on the end face 17a of the lug plate 17.
- the second cam 25 is located forward to the first cam 24 with respect to the rotation direction R. Further, the second cam 25 has a cam surface 25a for guiding the roller 22.
- the cam surface 25a is sloped so that the disk portion of the lug plate 17 becomes farther as the drive shaft 16 becomes closer.
- only the cam surface 25a faces toward the roller 22. That is, the second cam 25 is open toward the front with respect to the rotation direction R. In other wards, the second cam 25 includes a front opposing the rotation direction R of the drive shaft 16 in which the front is open.
- the inner surface 24a of the first cam 24 applies force to the spherical projection 23.
- the compression reaction produced by the compressed refrigerant gas is transmitted from the pistons 28 to the swash plate 18 in an eccentric manner as shown by arrow X, which indicates the load center of the reaction.
- the cam surface 25a of the second cam 25 mainly receives such compression reaction through the roller 22.
- the inclination angle of the swash plate 18 is altered. In such a state, the roller 22 moves away from the drive shaft 16 along the cam surface 25a of the second cam 25, and the spherical projection 23 moves away from the drive shaft 16 along the inner surface 24a in the first cam 24. To decrease the displacement of the compressor 10, the inclination angle of the swash plate 18 is altered. In such a state, the roller 22 moves toward the drive shaft 16 along the cam surface 25a of the second cam 25, and the spherical projection 23 moves toward the drive shaft 16 along the inner surface 24a in the first cam 24. In this manner, the first and second cams 24 and 25 guide the swash plate 18.
- the compressor 10 of the preferred embodiment has the advantages described below.
- the roller 22 is separated from the top dead center correspondence position P. Further, the distance between the roller 22 (plane M1) and the spherical projection 23 (plane M2) and thus the distance between the first cam 24 and the second cam 25 are long. Accordingly, in the compressor 10 that compresses carbon dioxide refrigerant gas, the hinge mechanism 19 and the lug plate 17 receive the compression reaction X acting on the swash plate 18 in a preferable manner. Further, the swash plate 18 is prevented from inclining in a direction differing from the direction it inclines to vary the displacement. The compressor 10 is thus suitable for compressing carbon dioxide refrigerant gas.
- the roller 22 of the hinge mechanism 19 may be spherical.
- the cam surface 25a may be curved inwardly in correspondence with the spherical roller 22.
- the inwardly curved cam surface 25a is much shallower than the groove formed by the inner surface 24a of the first cam 24 (more specifically, the arc formed by the cross-section of the cam surface 25a is shorter than a semicircular arc). Accordingly, the hinge mechanism 19 is easily machined as advantage (1) of the preferred embodiment described above.
- the spherical projection 23 of the hinge mechanism 19 may be eliminated.
- the first end portion 21a of the link pin 21 functions as the first guide projection.
- the first cam 24 includes an elongated guide hole 24b into which the first end portion 21a of the link pin 21 is inserted. The first cam 24 directly contacts the support 20 support 20 to transmit torque from the lug plate 17 to the swash plate 18.
- the diameter of the spherical projection 23 of the link pin 21 is greater than the diameter of the insertion hole 20a of the support 20. Instead, as shown in Fig. 7, the diameter of the spherical projection 23 may be smaller than the diameter of the insertion hole 20a. This enables the link pin 21, which includes the spherical projection 23, to be cut out from single rod material. Since the spherical projection 23 and the link pin 21 are formed integrally, the number of parts forming the hinge mechanism 19 is reduced.
- the spherical projection 23 having a diameter smaller than the insertion hole 20a may be inserted through the insertion hole 20a. More specifically, when connecting the link pin 21 and the swash plate 18, the link pin 21 may be inserted through the insertion hole 20a of the support 20 from the first end portion 21a.
- a flange 21c is formed integrally with the link pin 21 at the edge of the second end portion 21b to prevent the roller 22 from falling off. Accordingly, the snap ring 26 (refer to Fig. 3), which is separate from the link pin 21, is not necessary. This reduces the number of parts forming the hinge mechanism 19.
- the cam surface 25a of the second cam 25 may be outwardly curved toward the roller 22.
- the roller 22 may be extended toward the support 20, and the support 20 may be narrowed by the extended amount of the roller 22.
- the spherical projection 23 of the link pin 21 may be supported in a rotatable manner.
- the spherical projection 23 moves along the inner surface 24a of the first cam 24. That is, the first guide projection may be a roller.
- the roller 22 is employed as the second guide projection of the hinge mechanism 19.
- the second guide projection may be fixed to the support so that it does not rotate.
- the support 20 of the hinge mechanism 19 (specifically, the middle plate S) may be formed in alignment with the top dead center correspondence position P.
- the distance between the roller 22 and the support 20, and the distance between the spherical projection 23 and the support 20 may be the same.
- the present invention is applied to a swash plate type variable displacement compressor 10.
- the present invention may be applied to a wobble type variable displacement compressor.
- carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant of the vehicle air conditioner.
- a FREON refrigerant may be used instead.
- the present invention may be applied to a variable displacement compressor where FREON is the refrigerant gas.
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- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Compressors, Vaccum Pumps And Other Relevant Systems (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a compressor, and more particularly, to a variable displacement compressor used in a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner.
- A variable displacement compressor used in a refrigerant circuit includes a housing that has cylinder bores and rotatably supports a drive shaft. The drive shaft supports a swash plate in an inclinable manner. A lug plate is fixed to the drive shaft to rotate integrally with the drive shaft. A hinge mechanism is arranged between the lug plate and the swash plate. A piston reciprocates in each cylinder bore. The piston is connected to a peripheral portion of the swash plate. When the drive shaft rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the swash plate through the lug plate and the hinge mechanism. This reciprocates the pistons and compresses refrigerant gas in the associated cylinder bores. Further, the hinge mechanism guides the swash plate and alters the inclination angle of the swash plate to change the stroke of the pistons. In this manner, the displacement of the variable displacement compressor is varied.
- Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-289159 describes an example of a hinge mechanism used in a variable displacement compressor. As shown in Fig. 1, a
swash plate 101 has an end face 101a facing towards a lug plate 102 (thrust flange). Alink pin 103 is arranged in the end face 101a.Spherical projections link pin 103. Thelug plate 102 has anend face 102c facing towards theswash plate 101. A guide groove 102a for guiding thespherical projection 103a and aguide groove 102b for guiding thespherical projection 103b are provided near theend face 102c. When altering the inclination angle of theswash plate 101, theguide grooves 102a and 102b guide the movement of thespherical projections link pin 103. - The
lug plate 102 rotates in the direction of arrow R (rotation direction R) as shown in Fig. 1. More specifically, when thelug plate 102 is viewed from the side facing away from theend face 102c, thelug plate 102 rotates in the clockwise direction. The guide groove 102a, which is located forward to thelink pin 103 in the rotation direction R, does not transmit torque from thelug plate 102 to theswash plate 101. Conversely, theother guide groove 102b transmits torque from thelug plate 102 to theswash plate 101. Accordingly, theguide groove 102b must be long enough and deep enough to accommodate and guide thespherical projection 103b. Further, the wall of theguide groove 102b must come into contact with thespherical projection 103b to transmit force to thespherical projection 103b in the rotation direction R. More specifically, the wall of theguide groove 102b must come into contact from the rearward side of thespherical projection 103b with respect to the rotation direction R. - The guide groove 102a, which does not transmit torque to the
swash plate 101, does not have to be deep and long. Further, contact between the wall of the guide groove 102a and thespherical projection 103a is not required for the transmission of torque from thelug plate 102 to theswash plate 101, inclination of theswash plate 101, and for receiving the compression reaction applied to theswash plate 101 pistons. - Nevertheless, much burdensome machining is required to form deep and long grooves, that is, the guide grooves 102a and 102b. Accordingly, the machining of a hinge mechanism such as that shown in Fig. 1 requires much work.
- The guide groove 102a, which does not transmit torque to the
swash plate 101, has a wall located forward to thespherical projection 103a in the rotation direction R. Further, the distance between thespherical projection 103a and thespherical projection 103b is small. The distance between the guide groove 102a and theguide groove 102b is also small. Thus, the support of thelug plate 102 by theswash plate 101 is insufficient. - Compression reaction produced by the pistons may act on the
swash plate 101 in an eccentric manner as shown by arrow X, which indicates the load center of the reaction. This may incline theswash plate 101 in a direction differing from the direction that theswash plate 101 inclines when varying the displacement. In such a case, thespherical projections guide grooves 102a and 102b in a manner differing from how they were designed to do so. This would increase sliding resistance between the walls of theguide grooves 102a and 102b and the associatedspherical projections - The present invention provides a variable displacement compressor having a hinge mechanism that is easily machined.
- One embodiment of the present invention is a compressor that transmits rotation of a drive shaft from a lug plate to a cam plate, reciprocates a piston as the cam plate rotates to compress gas, and alters an inclination angle of the cam plate to vary displacement. The compressor includes a hinge mechanism arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate. The hinge mechanism includes a support formed on the cam plate. A first guide projection extends from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates. A second guide projection extends from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates. A first cam, formed on the lug plate in a manner surrounding the first guide projection, guides the first guide projection. A second cam is formed on the lug plate and includes a cam surface for contacting and guiding the second guide projection.
- A further embodiment of the present invention is a compressor including a housing, a cylinder bore formed in the housing, and a drive shaft supported in the housing in a rotatable manner. A lug plate is connected to the drive shaft to rotate integrally with the drive shaft. A cam plate is supported by the drive shaft in an inclinable manner. The cam plate has a first surface facing towards the lug plate. The lug plate has a second surface facing towards the first surface of the cam plate. A piston has an end connected to the cam plate and reciprocated in the cylinder bore. A hinge mechanism is arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate. The hinge mechanism includes a support formed on the first surface. A first guide projection extends from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates. A second guide projection extends from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates. A first cam, formed on the second surface in a manner surrounding the first guide projection, guides the first guide projection. A second cam is formed on the second surface and includes a cam surface for contacting and guiding the second guide projection.
- Another embodiment of the present invention is a compressor including a housing, a cylinder bore formed in the housing, and a drive shaft supported in the housing in a rotatable manner. A lug plate is connected to the drive shaft to rotate integrally with the drive shaft. A cam plate is supported by the drive shaft in an inclinable manner. The cam plate has a first surface facing towards the lug plate. The lug plate has a second surface facing towards the first surface of the cam plate. A piston having an end connected to the cam plate is reciprocated in the cylinder bore. A hinge mechanism is arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate. The hinge mechanism has a support formed on the first surface and including an insertion hole. A pin is inserted through the insertion hole and has a spherical portion and a rotatable roller. The spherical portion extends from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates. The roller extends from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates. A first cam is formed on the second surface and includes a groove surrounding and guiding the spherical portion. A second cam is formed on the second surface and includes a cam surface for contacting and guiding the roller.
- Other embodiments and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
- The invention, and preferred objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the certain exemplifying embodiments together with the accompanying drawings in which:
- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a hinge mechanism of a variable displacement compressor in the prior art;
- Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram of a variable displacement compressor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a hinge mechanism in the compressor of Fig. 2;
- Fig. 4 is a side view showing the hinge mechanism of Fig. 3;
- Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a hinge mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a hinge mechanism according to a further embodiment of the present invention; and
- Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a hinge mechanism according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
-
- In the drawings, like numerals are used for like elements throughout.
- A
variable displacement compressor 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 4. In the preferred embodiment, thecompressor 10 is used in a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner. - Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the
compressor 10. The left side as viewed in Fig. 2 will be referred to as the front side of thecompressor 10, and the right side will be referred to as the rear side of thecompressor 10. As shown in Fig. 2, thecompressor 10 has ahousing 10a, which includes acylinder block 11, afront housing 12 fixed to the front end of thecylinder block 11, and arear housing 14 fixed to the rear end of thecylinder block 11 by way of avalve plate 13. - A
crank chamber 15 is defined in thehousing 10a between thecylinder block 11 and thefront housing 12. Adrive shaft 16 extending through thecrank chamber 15 is supported in a rotatable manner between thecylinder block 11 and thefront housing 12. Thedrive shaft 16 is connected to an engine (not shown), which functions as a drive source for the vehicle. Thedrive shaft 16 is powered by the engine and rotated in the direction indicated by arrow R. - A generally disk-
like lug plate 17 is fixed to thedrive shaft 16 in thecrank chamber 15 to rotate integrally with thedrive shaft 16. Thecrank chamber 15 accommodates aswash plate 18, which functions as a cam plate. A shaft hole 18a, through which thedrive shaft 16 is inserted, extends through a central portion of theswash plate 18. Ahinge mechanism 19 is arranged between thelug plate 17 and theswash plate 18. Theswash plate 18 is connected to thelug plate 17 by thehinge mechanism 19 and supported by thedrive shaft 16 at the shaft hole 18a. Theswash plate 18 rotates synchronously with thelug plate 17 and thedrive shaft 16. Further, theswash plate 18 inclines relative to thedrive shaft 16 as it slides along thedrive shaft 16 in the axial direction. - A plurality of (only one shown in Fig. 2) equally spaced cylinder bores 27 extend through the
cylinder block 11 about the axis T of thedrive shaft 16. A single-headedpiston 28 reciprocates in each cylinder bore 27. Thepiston 28 closes the front opening of the cylinder bore 27. The front side of thevalve plate 13 closes the rear opening of the cylinder bore 27. Acompression chamber 29 is defined in the cylinder bore 27. The volume of thecompression chamber 29 changes in accordance with the reciprocation of thepiston 28. - The
piston 28 is connected to the peripheral portion of theswash plate 18 by a pair ofshoes 30. Asuction chamber 31 and a discharge chamber 40 are defined between thevalve plate 13 and therear housing 14. Thevalve plate 13 includes asuction port 32 and a suction valve 33 located between eachcompression chamber 29 and thesuction chamber 31. Further, thevalve plate 13 includes adischarge port 34 and a discharge valve 35 located between eachcompression chamber 29 and the discharge chamber 40. - As each
piston 28 moves from its top dead center position to its bottom dead center position, refrigerant gas (carbon dioxide in the preferred embodiment) is drawn into the correspondingcompression chamber 29 from thesuction chamber 31 through the associatedsuction port 32 and suction valve 33. As thepiston 28 moves from the bottom dead center position to the top dead center position, the refrigerant gas in thecompression chamber 29 is compressed to a predetermined pressure and discharged into the discharge chamber 40 through the associateddischarge port 34 and discharge valve 35. - A
bleed passage 36, agas supply passage 37, and acontrol valve 38 are provided in thehousing 10a of thecompressor 10. Thebleed passage 36 connects thecrank chamber 15 and thesuction chamber 31. Thegas supply passage 37 connects the discharge chamber 40 and thecrank chamber 15. Thecontrol valve 38, which is known in the art, is arranged in thegas supply passage 37. - The open amount of the
control valve 38 is adjusted to control the balance between the amount of high-pressure discharge gas delivered into thecrank chamber 15 through thegas supply passage 37 and the amount of gas delivered out of thecrank chamber 15 through thebleed passage 36. This determines the internal pressure of thecrank chamber 15. When the internal pressure of thecrank chamber 15 changes, the difference between the internal pressure of thecrank chamber 15 and the internal pressure of thecompression chambers 29 also changes. This alters the inclination angle of the swash plate 18 (the angle of theswash plate 18 relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis T of the drive shaft 16). In this manner, the stroke of thepistons 28, or the displacement of thecompressor 10, is adjusted. - For example, a decrease in the internal pressure of the
crank chamber 15 increases the inclination of theswash plate 18. This lengthens the stroke of thepistons 28,and increases the displacement of thecompressor 10. Conversely, an increase in the internal pressure of thecrank chamber 15 decreases the inclination of theswash plate 18. This shortens the stroke of thepistons 28 and decreases the displacement of thecompressor 10. - The
hinge mechanism 19 will now be discussed. - As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the
swash plate 18 has anend face 18b facing towards thelug plate 17. Asupport 20 projects from theend face 18b toward thelug plate 17. Thesupport 20 is located near a portion of theswash plate 18 that moves eachpiston 28 to the top dead center position. This portion of theswash plate 18 is referred to as a top dead center correspondence position P. A middle plane S is defined in the middle of thesupport 20 where the distal edge of thesupport 20 is equally divided into two. The middle plane S lies along a plane parallel to a plane including the axis T of thedrive shaft 16 and the top dead center correspondence position P. The middle plane S is offset from the top dead center correspondence position P in the rotational direction R of thedrive shaft 16. - An
insertion hole 20a extends through thesupport 20 in a direction perpendicular to the middle plane S. Alink pin 21 is press-fitted and fixed in theinsertion hole 20a of thesupport 20. Thelink pin 21 includes afirst end portion 21a (right end as viewed in Fig. 2) and asecond end portion 21b (left end as viewed in Fig. 2), which extend from thesupport 20. Thesecond end portion 21b is located forward to thefirst end portion 21a in the rotation direction R. In other wards, thefirst end portion 21a extends from thesupport 20 in a direction rearward with respect to the direction thedrive shaft 16 rotates. Further, thesecond end portion 21b extends from thesupport 20 in a direction forward with respect to the direction thedrive shaft 16 rotates. - The
second end portion 21b of thelink pin 21 supports a cylindrical roller 22 (second guide projection) in a rotatable manner. A snap ring 26 (stopper) is attached to thesecond end portion 21b to prevent theroller 22 from falling off thelink pin 21. Aspherical projection 23, which functions as a first guide projection, is formed integrally with thefirst end portion 21a. - The top dead center correspondence position P of the
swash plate 18 is located between theroller 22 and thespherical projection 23. The distance between the roller 22 (specifically, plane M1 lying along the outer end face of the roller 22) and the top dead center correspondence position P is longer than the distance between the spherical projection 23 (specifically, plane M2 including the center of thespherical projection 23 and parallel to the middle plane S of the support 20) and the top dead center correspondence position P. The minimum distance between thespherical projection 23 and thesupport 20 is longer than the minimum distance between theroller 22 and thesupport 20. - The
lug plate 17 has anend face 17a facing towards theswash plate 18. Afirst cam 24 is formed on theend face 17a. Thefirst cam 24 includes aninner surface 24a, which defines a relatively long and deep groove to guide thespherical projection 23. Theinner surface 24a of thefirst cam 24 defines the wall of the groove that surrounds thespherical projection 23 from three directions, that is, from the rear with respect to the rotation direction R, from the direction of theswash plate 18, and from the direction of thelug plate 17. Theinner surface 24a of thefirst cam 24 is sloped so that the disk portion of thelug plate 17 becomes farther as thedrive shaft 16 becomes closer. - A
second cam 25 is formed on theend face 17a of thelug plate 17. Thesecond cam 25 is located forward to thefirst cam 24 with respect to the rotation direction R. Further, thesecond cam 25 has acam surface 25a for guiding theroller 22. Thecam surface 25a is sloped so that the disk portion of thelug plate 17 becomes farther as thedrive shaft 16 becomes closer. In thesecond cam 25, only thecam surface 25a faces toward theroller 22. That is, thesecond cam 25 is open toward the front with respect to the rotation direction R. In other wards, thesecond cam 25 includes a front opposing the rotation direction R of thedrive shaft 16 in which the front is open. - When torque is transmitted to the
swash plate 18 from thelug plate 17, theinner surface 24a of thefirst cam 24 applies force to thespherical projection 23. The compression reaction produced by the compressed refrigerant gas is transmitted from thepistons 28 to theswash plate 18 in an eccentric manner as shown by arrow X, which indicates the load center of the reaction. Thecam surface 25a of thesecond cam 25 mainly receives such compression reaction through theroller 22. - To increase the displacement of the
compressor 10, the inclination angle of theswash plate 18 is altered. In such a state, theroller 22 moves away from thedrive shaft 16 along thecam surface 25a of thesecond cam 25, and thespherical projection 23 moves away from thedrive shaft 16 along theinner surface 24a in thefirst cam 24. To decrease the displacement of thecompressor 10, the inclination angle of theswash plate 18 is altered. In such a state, theroller 22 moves toward thedrive shaft 16 along thecam surface 25a of thesecond cam 25, and thespherical projection 23 moves toward thedrive shaft 16 along theinner surface 24a in thefirst cam 24. In this manner, the first andsecond cams swash plate 18. - The
compressor 10 of the preferred embodiment has the advantages described below. - (1) The
second cam 25 of thehinge mechanism 19 is open to the front with respect to the rotation direction R. In other words, thesecond cam 25, which does not transmit torque from thelug plate 17 to theswash plate 18, is not a groove and does not have a wall that contacts theroller 22 in the rotational direction R. Accordingly, the burdensome machining of a deep groove is necessary only at one location, or at thefirst cam 24. Thus, the machining of thehinge mechanism 19 is simplified. This reduces the manufacturing cost of thecompressor 10. Furthermore, thecam surface 25a of thesecond cam 25 is not surrounded by any walls. Thus, the designing of the shape of thecam surface 25a is relatively simple. Accordingly, the profile (e.g., finely curved surface or combination of flat planes) of thecam surface 25a is easily designed so that the dead volume of the compression chambers 29 (i.e., clearance between eachpiston 28 and thevalve plate 13 when thepiston 28 is located at the top dead center position) remains constant even if the inclination angle of theswash plate 18 is altered.In addition, thesecond end portion 21b of thelink pin 21 may be projected out of theroller 22 because there are no walls around thecam surface 25a. This enables the attachment of thesnap ring 26 to prevent theroller 22 from falling off thesecond end portion 21b. Thesnap ring 26 is attached to thesecond end portion 21b of thelink pin 21 after mounting theroller 22 on thesecond end portion 21b. In this manner, theroller 22 is easily mounted on thelink pin 21. - (2) In the
second cam 25, only thecam surface 25a faces toward theroller 22. In other words, except for thecam surface 25a, thesecond cam 25 does not have any walls facing towards theroller 22. As a result, the distance between theroller 22 and the top dead center correspondence position P may be maximized. In other words, the distance between the roller 22 (plane M1) and the spherical projection 23 (plane M2) and thus the distance between thefirst cam 24 and thesecond cam 25 are long. Accordingly, thelug plate 17 stably supports theswash plate 18. Thus, even if the compression reaction X is transmitted from thepistons 28 to theswash plate 18 in an eccentric manner, theswash plate 18 is prevented from inclining in a direction differing from the direction it inclines to vary displacement. Further, slide resistance in the hinge mechanism is reduced, and the controllability of the displacement of thecompressor 10 is improved. - (3) The
link pin 21 supports theroller 22 in a rotatable manner. Accordingly, theroller 22 smoothly moves along thecam surface 25a of thesecond cam 25. This improves the controllability of the displacement of thecompressor 10. - (4) The
roller 22, which receives the compression reaction X, is located near thesupport 20. This reduces the stress produced by the compression reaction X and applied from theroller 22 to thelink pin 21. Accordingly, the durability of thelink pin 21 is improved. The load applied to thespherical projection 23 during the transmission of torque is small. Accordingly, the stress applied to thelink pin 21 during the transmission of torque is small. Therefore, even if thespherical projection 23 is separated from thesupport 20, this does not affect the durability of thelink pin 21. - (5) Carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant for the
vehicle air conditioner. It has been confirmed through
experiments that the compression reaction X that acts on the
swash plate 18 is greater when a carbon dioxide refrigerant is used than when a FREON refrigerant is used. It has also been confirmed through experiments that the compression reaction X acts on the peripheral portion of theswash plate 18. -
- In the preferred embodiment, the
roller 22 is separated from the top dead center correspondence position P. Further, the distance between the roller 22 (plane M1) and the spherical projection 23 (plane M2) and thus the distance between thefirst cam 24 and thesecond cam 25 are long. Accordingly, in thecompressor 10 that compresses carbon dioxide refrigerant gas, thehinge mechanism 19 and thelug plate 17 receive the compression reaction X acting on theswash plate 18 in a preferable manner. Further, theswash plate 18 is prevented from inclining in a direction differing from the direction it inclines to vary the displacement. Thecompressor 10 is thus suitable for compressing carbon dioxide refrigerant gas. - It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms. Particularly, it should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in the following forms.
- As shown in Fig. 5, the
roller 22 of thehinge mechanism 19 may be spherical. In this case, thecam surface 25a may be curved inwardly in correspondence with thespherical roller 22. The inwardlycurved cam surface 25a is much shallower than the groove formed by theinner surface 24a of the first cam 24 (more specifically, the arc formed by the cross-section of thecam surface 25a is shorter than a semicircular arc). Accordingly, thehinge mechanism 19 is easily machined as advantage (1) of the preferred embodiment described above. - Referring to Fig. 6, the
spherical projection 23 of thehinge mechanism 19 may be eliminated. In this case, thefirst end portion 21a of thelink pin 21 functions as the first guide projection. Thefirst cam 24 includes anelongated guide hole 24b into which thefirst end portion 21a of thelink pin 21 is inserted. Thefirst cam 24 directly contacts thesupport 20support 20 to transmit torque from thelug plate 17 to theswash plate 18. - As apparent from Fig. 3, the diameter of the
spherical projection 23 of thelink pin 21 is greater than the diameter of theinsertion hole 20a of thesupport 20. Instead, as shown in Fig. 7, the diameter of thespherical projection 23 may be smaller than the diameter of theinsertion hole 20a. This enables thelink pin 21, which includes thespherical projection 23, to be cut out from single rod material. Since thespherical projection 23 and thelink pin 21 are formed integrally, the number of parts forming thehinge mechanism 19 is reduced. - The
spherical projection 23 having a diameter smaller than theinsertion hole 20a may be inserted through theinsertion hole 20a. More specifically, when connecting thelink pin 21 and theswash plate 18, thelink pin 21 may be inserted through theinsertion hole 20a of thesupport 20 from thefirst end portion 21a. In the embodiment of Fig. 7, aflange 21c is formed integrally with thelink pin 21 at the edge of thesecond end portion 21b to prevent theroller 22 from falling off. Accordingly, the snap ring 26 (refer to Fig. 3), which is separate from thelink pin 21, is not necessary. This reduces the number of parts forming thehinge mechanism 19. - The
cam surface 25a of thesecond cam 25 may be outwardly curved toward theroller 22. - The
roller 22 may be extended toward thesupport 20, and thesupport 20 may be narrowed by the extended amount of theroller 22. - The
spherical projection 23 of thelink pin 21 may be supported in a rotatable manner. When the inclination angle of theswash plate 18 is altered, thespherical projection 23 moves along theinner surface 24a of thefirst cam 24. That is, the first guide projection may be a roller. - In the embodiments of Figs. 2 to 7, the
roller 22 is employed as the second guide projection of thehinge mechanism 19. Instead, the second guide projection may be fixed to the support so that it does not rotate. - The
support 20 of the hinge mechanism 19 (specifically, the middle plate S) may be formed in alignment with the top dead center correspondence position P. - The distance between the
roller 22 and thesupport 20, and the distance between thespherical projection 23 and thesupport 20 may be the same. - In the embodiments of Figs. 2 to 7, the present invention is applied to a swash plate type
variable displacement compressor 10. Instead, the present invention may be applied to a wobble type variable displacement compressor. - In the preferred embodiment, carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant of the vehicle air conditioner. However, a FREON refrigerant may be used instead. In other words, the present invention may be applied to a variable displacement compressor where FREON is the refrigerant gas.
- The present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive.
Claims (16)
- A compressor (10) that transmits rotation of a drive shaft (16) from a lug plate (17) to a cam plate (18), reciprocates a piston (28) as the cam plate rotates to compress gas, and alters an inclination angle of the cam plate to vary displacement, the compressor comprising a hinge mechanism (19) arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate, the compressor characterized in that
the hinge mechanism includes a support (20) formed on the cam plate, a first guide projection (23) extending from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates, a second guide projection (22) extending from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates, a first cam (24), formed on the lug plate in a manner surrounding the first guide projection, for guiding the first guide projection, and a second cam (25) formed on the lug plate and including a cam surface for contacting and guiding the second guide projection. - The compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that the second cam includes a front opposing the rotational direction of the drive shaft in which the front is open.
- The compressor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston is moved to a top dead center position, and the cam plate includes a portion (P) located between the first guide projection and the second guide projection for moving the piston to the top dead center position of the piston, the compressor characterized in that
the distance between the second projection and the portion is greater than the distance between the first guide projection and the portion. - The compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the hinge mechanism further includes a pin portion (21b) extending from the support along the axis intersecting the drive shaft, in which the second guide projection includes a roller supported by the pin portion in a rotatable manner.
- The compressor according to claim 4, characterized in that the support includes an insertion hole (20a), and the hinge mechanism includes a pin (21) inserted through the insertion hole of the support, the pin having a first end portion (21a) with a spherical portion defining the first guide and a second end portion defining the pin portion, wherein the spherical portion has a diameter that is smaller than that of the insertion hole.
- The compressor according to claim 5, characterized in that the spherical portion is formed integrally with the pin.
- The compressor according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the pin includes a stopper, integrally formed with the second end portion, for preventing the roller from falling off the pin.
- The compressor according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the pin portion extends out of the roller.
- The compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the distance between the second guide projection and the support is less than the distance between the first guide projection and the support.
- The compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the compressor compresses carbon dioxide refrigerant gas for an air conditioner.
- The compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the first cam includes a groove for guiding the first guide projection.
- The compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the first cam includes an elongated hole for guiding the first guide projection.
- The compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the first guide projection extends from the support rearward from the second guide projection with respect to the rotational direction of the drive shaft.
- A compressor (10) comprising:a housing (10a), a cylinder bore (27) formed in the housing, a drive shaft (16) supported in the housing in a rotatable manner, a lug plate (17) connected to the drive shaft to rotate integrally with the drive shaft, a cam plate (18) supported by the drive shaft in an inclinable manner, the cam plate having a first surface (18b) facing towards the lug plate, and the lug plate having a second surface (17a) facing towards the first surface of the cam plate, a piston (28) having an end connected to the cam plate and reciprocated in the cylinder bore, and a hinge mechanism (19) arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate, the compressor characterized in thatthe hinge mechanism includes a support (20) formed on the first surface, a first guide projection (23) extending from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates, a second guide projection (22) extending from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates, a first cam (24), formed on the second surface in a manner surrounding the first guide projection, for guiding the first guide projection, and a second cam (25) formed on the second surface and including a cam surface for contacting and guiding the second guide projection.
- A compressor (10) comprising:a housing (10a), a cylinder bore (27) formed in the housing, a drive shaft (16) supported in the housing in a rotatable manner, a lug plate (17) connected to the drive shaft to rotate integrally with the drive shaft, a cam plate (18) supported by the drive shaft in an inclinable manner, the cam plate having a first surface (18b) facing towards the lug plate, and the lug plate having a second surface (17a) facing towards the first surface of the cam plate, a piston (28) having an end connected to the cam plate and reciprocated in the cylinder bore, and a hinge mechanism (19) arranged between the lug plate and the cam plate, the compressor characterized in thatthe hinge mechanism includes a support (20) formed on the first surface and including an insertion hole (20a), a pin (21) inserted through the insertion hole and having a spherical portion (23) and a rotatable roller (22), the spherical portion extending from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates, and the roller extending from the support in a direction forward with respect to the direction the drive shaft rotates, a first cam (24) formed on the second surface and including a groove surrounding and guiding the spherical portion, and a second cam (25) formed on the second surface and including a cam surface for contacting and guiding the roller.
- The compressor according to claim 15, characterized in that the groove and the cam surface are sloped so that the second surface becomes farther as the drive shaft becomes closer.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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JP2003386004 | 2003-11-14 | ||
JP2003386004 | 2003-11-14 | ||
JP2004014766A JP4103806B2 (en) | 2003-11-14 | 2004-01-22 | Variable capacity compressor |
JP2004014766 | 2004-01-22 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP1531266A2 true EP1531266A2 (en) | 2005-05-18 |
EP1531266A3 EP1531266A3 (en) | 2006-01-11 |
EP1531266B1 EP1531266B1 (en) | 2007-04-18 |
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ID=34436996
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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EP04026808A Active EP1531266B1 (en) | 2003-11-14 | 2004-11-11 | Variable displacement compressor |
Country Status (6)
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US (1) | US20050147504A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1531266B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4103806B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100614023B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN100373048C (en) |
DE (1) | DE602004005943T2 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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KR100614023B1 (en) | 2003-11-14 | 2006-08-22 | 가부시키가이샤 도요다 지도숏키 | Variable displacement compressor |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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KR102038507B1 (en) * | 2018-09-14 | 2019-10-30 | 에스트라오토모티브시스템 주식회사 | Hinge mechanism for variable swash plate type compressor and variable swash plate type compressor including the same |
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KR100318772B1 (en) * | 1999-12-16 | 2001-12-28 | 신영주 | Variable capacity swash plate type compressor |
JP2001304108A (en) * | 2000-04-20 | 2001-10-31 | Toyota Industries Corp | Compressor |
KR100661358B1 (en) * | 2000-11-20 | 2006-12-27 | 한라공조주식회사 | Structure for hinge connecting rotor and swash plate of a variable displacement swash plate type compressor |
KR100661359B1 (en) * | 2000-11-20 | 2006-12-27 | 한라공조주식회사 | Structure for hinge connecting rotor and swash plate of a variabie displacement swash plate type cpmpressor |
JP3891099B2 (en) * | 2001-11-12 | 2007-03-07 | 株式会社豊田自動織機 | Piston compressor |
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JP4103806B2 (en) | 2003-11-14 | 2008-06-18 | 株式会社豊田自動織機 | Variable capacity compressor |
-
2004
- 2004-01-22 JP JP2004014766A patent/JP4103806B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2004-11-11 DE DE602004005943T patent/DE602004005943T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2004-11-11 KR KR1020040091816A patent/KR100614023B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-11-11 EP EP04026808A patent/EP1531266B1/en active Active
- 2004-11-11 US US10/987,758 patent/US20050147504A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2004-11-12 CN CNB2004101023219A patent/CN100373048C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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US5387091A (en) * | 1992-08-21 | 1995-02-07 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho | Variable capacity type swash plate compressor |
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US6116145A (en) * | 1997-02-28 | 2000-09-12 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho | Variable displacement compressor |
US6276904B1 (en) * | 1998-03-18 | 2001-08-21 | Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. | Variable capacity refrigerant compressor having an inclination limiting means to interrupt compressive forces on a hinge mechanism |
JP2001289159A (en) * | 2000-04-03 | 2001-10-19 | Zexel Valeo Climate Control Corp | Variable displacement swash plate compressor |
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Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR100614023B1 (en) | 2003-11-14 | 2006-08-22 | 가부시키가이샤 도요다 지도숏키 | Variable displacement compressor |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1531266B1 (en) | 2007-04-18 |
DE602004005943D1 (en) | 2007-05-31 |
JP4103806B2 (en) | 2008-06-18 |
CN100373048C (en) | 2008-03-05 |
KR20050046569A (en) | 2005-05-18 |
US20050147504A1 (en) | 2005-07-07 |
KR100614023B1 (en) | 2006-08-22 |
EP1531266A3 (en) | 2006-01-11 |
CN1616824A (en) | 2005-05-18 |
JP2005163772A (en) | 2005-06-23 |
DE602004005943T2 (en) | 2008-01-17 |
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