Abstract: A refrigerant gas compressor includes a cylinder block formed with plural cylinder bores, a first housing disposed at the one end of the cylinder block, a second housing disposed at the other end of the cylinder block, a drive shaft supported by the cylinder block and one of the housings, a crank chamber formed in one of the housings, a suction chamber and a discharge chamber formed in one of the housings, a valve plate assembly disposed between the cylinder block and at least one of the housings, a stepped portion formed adjacent to the valve plate assembly to receive a part of the valve plate assembly. A storage chamber is provided for reserving therein oil separated from refrigerant gas. An oil groove is formed by the stepped portion and the valve plate assembly and connecting the storage chamber with one of the crank chamber and the suction chamber.

Abstract: A variable displacement compressor includes a housing assembly. A displacement control structure for the variable displacement compressor includes a passage forming member, a flat partition and a displacement control valve. The passage forming member is connected to an exterior surface of the housing assembly for forming a refrigerant passage for allowing the refrigerant to be discharged out from the compressor to an external refrigerant circuit. The flat partition is interposed between the passage forming member and the housing assembly. A throttle penetrates through the partition, which divides the refrigerant passage into an upstream passage and a downstream passage. The displacement control valve is provided in the passage forming member. The displacement control valve senses pressure of refrigerant in the upstream passage and pressure of the refrigerant in the downstream passage to control flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through a supply passage.

Abstract: The compressor has a differential pressure type flow rate detector that obtains the pressure in an upstream passage and the pressure in a downstream passage to detect a refrigerant flow rate within a refrigerant passage. The detector has an accommodation chamber, and a partition body slidably accommodated within the accommodation chamber. The partition body comparts the accommodation chamber into a high pressure chamber to which the pressure in the upstream passage is introduced, and a low pressure chamber to which the pressure in the downstream passage is introduced. The compressor has an oil separator having an oil introduction passage connected to the oil separating chamber and a high pressure introduction passage introducing the pressure in the upstream passage to the high pressure chamber. The oil introduction passage introduces the oil separated from the refrigerant by the oil separator to a pressure zone other than a discharge pressure zone.

Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a compressor, a condenser, a pressure-reducing mechanism, an evaporator, an orifice provided in a refrigerant flow path from the compressor to the pressure-reducing mechanism, a differential pressure sensor that detects the differential pressure before and after the orifice, a refrigerant flowrate calculating portion that calculates a refrigerant flowrate based on the differential pressure, and a torque estimating portion that estimates the torque required to drive the compressor based on the refrigerant flowrate calculated by the refrigerant flowrate calculating portion, the intake pressure of the compressor, and the discharge pressure of the compressor.

Abstract: In a structure for mounting a filter in a compressor, a mounting member is connected to the filter. A receiving hole is formed in a housing of the compressor for receiving therein the mounting member. A first fitting portion is formed on an inner circumferential surface of a holding portion of the filter. A second fitting portion is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the mounting member for having fitting relation to the first fitting portion for an overlap distance in a radial direction of the receiving hole. When the mounting member is received in the receiving hole with the fitting relation, the filter is disposed in a fluid passage of the housing. A clearance having a dimension is formed between an outer circumferential surface of the holding portion and an inner circumferential surface of the receiving hole. Minimum value of the dimension is smaller than the overlap distance.

Abstract: A compressor comprises a suction passage; an oil reservoir for storing a lubricating oil which is separated from a refrigerant gas having a discharge pressure; and a throttle valve provided in the suction passage and having a valve body for adjusting an opening degree of the suction passage based on a differential pressure applied to the valve body. The suction passage has an upstream suction passage which is located upstream of the throttle valve. The compressor comprises a lubricating oil passage connecting the oil reservoir to the upstream suction passage for the lubricating oil in the oil reservoir to flow to the upstream suction passage therethrough.

Abstract: A compressor has a discharge passage, an oil separation mechanism, an oil supply passage, and a valve mechanism. The oil supply passage supplies the separated lubrication oil into an oil recovery region. The valve mechanism is formed in the oil supply passage and includes a valve chamber, a spool and an urging member. The spool separates the valve chamber into a first pressure sensing chamber and a second pressure sensing chamber. The amount of the lubrication oil supplied to the oil recovery region is adjusted in such a manner that as the pressure differential between the first and the second pressure sensing chambers increases, the spool slides in the valve chamber and the opening degree of the oil supply passage increases to the maximum and then decreases, and that when the compressor is stopped, the opening degree of the oil supply passage is minimized by the urging force of the urging member.

Abstract: The compressor has a differential pressure type flow rate detector that obtains the pressure in an upstream passage and the pressure in a downstream passage to detect a refrigerant flow rate within a refrigerant passage. The detector has an accommodation chamber, and a partition body slidably accommodated within the accommodation chamber. The partition body comparts the accommodation chamber into a high pressure chamber to which the pressure in the upstream passage is introduced, and a low pressure chamber to which the pressure in the downstream passage is introduced. The compressor has an oil separator having an oil introduction passage connected to the oil separating chamber and a high pressure introduction passage introducing the pressure in the upstream passage to the high pressure chamber. The oil introduction passage introduces the oil separated from the refrigerant by the oil separator to a pressure zone other than a discharge pressure zone.

Abstract: A variable displacement compressor includes a housing assembly. A displacement control structure for the variable displacement compressor includes a passage forming member, a flat partition and a displacement control valve. The passage forming member is connected to an exterior surface of the housing assembly for forming a refrigerant passage for allowing the refrigerant to be discharged out from the compressor to an external refrigerant circuit. The flat partition is interposed between the passage forming member and the housing assembly. A throttle penetrates through the partition, which divides the refrigerant passage into an upstream passage and a downstream passage. The displacement control valve is provided in the passage forming member. The displacement control valve senses pressure of refrigerant in the upstream passage and pressure of the refrigerant in the downstream passage to control flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through a supply passage.

Abstract: A refrigerant gas compressor includes a cylinder block formed with plural cylinder bores, a first housing disposed at the one end of the cylinder block, a second housing disposed at the other end of the cylinder block, a drive shaft supported by the cylinder block and one of the housings, a crank chamber formed in one of the housings, a suction chamber and a discharge chamber formed in one of the housings, a valve plate assembly disposed between the cylinder block and at least one of the housings, a stepped portion formed adjacent to the valve plate assembly to receive a part of the valve plate assembly. A storage chamber is provided for reserving therein oil separated from refrigerant gas. An oil groove is formed by the stepped portion and the valve plate assembly and connecting the storage chamber with one of the crank chamber and the suction chamber.

Abstract: A compressor torque estimate device is used for a variable displacement compressor whose displacement is variable based on a compressor control signal for estimating a compressor torque of the compressor. The compressor torque estimate device includes a torque calculator and a corrector. The torque calculator calculates a torque required for driving the compressor based on the compressor control signal, thereby obtaining a calculated torque. The corrector corrects the calculated torque by a procedure of first-order lag, thereby obtaining a corrected torque. The corrector also estimates the corrected torque to be the compressor torque.

Abstract: A problem determination device for a fluid device includes an object sensor for detecting an undesirable object in the fluid device and a determining section. The object sensor includes a detecting portion provided in the fluid device. The determining section determines that the fluid device has a problem when the object sensor detects an undesirable object. The problem determination device is capable of accurately determining that the fluid device has a problem at a relatively early stage of the problem.

Abstract: In a hybrid compressor, a compression mechanism includes a rotary shaft, which has a first end and a second end. The first end of the rotary shaft is coupled to a rotating body, which receives power from an external drive source. The second end of the rotary shaft is coupled to an electric motor, which drives the rotary shaft. The rotary shaft is coupled to a rotor of the electric motor via a one-way clutch, which prevents power from being transmitted from the rotary shaft to the rotor. The rotor is supported by a motor shaft, which is separate from the rotary shaft. The second end of the rotary shaft is coupled to an end of the motor shaft using the one-way clutch as a coupling.

Abstract: A compressor torque estimate device is used for a variable displacement compressor whose displacement is variable based on a compressor control signal for estimating a compressor torque of the compressor. The compressor torque estimate device includes a torque calculator and a corrector. The torque calculator calculates a torque required for driving the compressor based on the compressor control signal, thereby obtaining a calculated torque. The corrector corrects the calculated torque by a procedure of first-order lag, thereby obtaining a corrected torque. The corrector also estimates the corrected torque to be the compressor torque.

Abstract: A swash plate for a swash plate compressor, wherein aluminum alloy containing 12 to 60% of Si and, as required, 0.1 to 30% of Sn is sprayed onto the iron or aluminum base plate of the swash plate compressor to form a seizure-resisting and abrasion-resisting surface layer dispersed with granulated Si.

Abstract: A variable displacement type swash plate compressor that prevents a drive shaft from moving axially when the difference between a crank chamber pressure and a cylinder bore pressure becomes excessive. A hinge mechanism has a support arm extending from a lug plate and a guide pin extends from a swash plate. The head portion of the guide pin fits in a guide hole formed in the support arm. A cutaway surface is formed in a part of the support arm that defines the guide hole. The cutaway surface forms a clearance in the hinge. The clearance permits the swash plate to move without pulling the drive shaft.

Abstract: In a fitting structure of a control valve in a variable capacity compressor according to the present invention, a step portion 92 is formed by connecting two taper surfaces 93a and 93b, the diameter of each of which decreases progressively towards the depth of a fitting hole 32 (in an inserting direction of a control valve 33) between each step surface portion 57, 67, 74, 91 of a fitting hole 32. A first taper surface 93a at a deep part of each step portion 92 has a smaller inclination in the inserting direction than a second taper surface 93b on the inlet side. The first taper surface 93a is formed so that its inner diameter on the inlet side is a little greater than the outer diameter of each O-ring 61, 70, 77 disposed on each step surface portion 57, 67, 74 in a free condition.

Abstract: A variable displacement compressor that varies the gas displacement by controlling the pressure in a crank chamber including a drive shaft, pistons for compressing the gas, and a swash plate. The swash plate is located in the crank chamber and integrally rotates with the drive shaft, and varies the stroke of the pistons. The inclination of the swash plate relative to the drive shaft is varied between maximum and minimum positions. A displacement restoration spring inclines the swash plate. One end of the restoration spring fixed to a predetermined part of the drive shaft.