Abstract: A swash plate type compressor including; a rotary drive shaft having an axis of rotation; a swash plate supported by the drive shaft such that the swash plate is inclined or tiltable with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft; a housing which supports the drive shaft such that the drive shaft is rotatable and axially immovable relative to the housing, which has a plurality of cylinder bores which are located at respective circumferential portions radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the drive shaft and which extend in a direction parallel to the drive shaft; a plurality of pistons each including a head portion slidably engaging a corresponding one of the cylinder bores, and an engaging portion engaging a radially outer portion of opposite surfaces of the swash plate, each piston being reciprocated by the swash plate rotated with the drive shaft; and a plurality of shoes each of which is disposed between one of the opposite surfaces of the swash plate and the engaging po

Abstract: A method of producing a shoe for a swash plate type compressor, said shoe being disposed between a swash plate and a piston of said swash plate type compressor, the method comprising: a forming step of forming a steel blank into a shoe product including an end product shoe and a pre size-adjusted shoe; and a nitriding step of effecting a nitriding treatment on said shoe product; and wherein a quenching treatment is not effected after said forming step.

Abstract: Variable displacement compressor may include a swash plate inclinably coupled to a drive shaft. A piston may be disposed within a cylinder bore and an end portion of the piston may be connected to a peripheral edge of the swash plate by a shoe. The piston preferably reciprocates within the cylinder bore in order to compress a refrigerant in response to rotation of the inclined swash plate. The inclination angle of the swash plate can be changed to change the compressor output discharge capacity. A rotor is preferably coupled to the drive shaft so that the rotor rotates together with the rotating drive shaft. A hinge mechanism connects the swash plate with the rotor by means of a guide on a rotary disk of the rotor. The hinge mechanism transmits torque from the drive shaft to the swash plate regardless of the inclination angle of the swash plate.