Abstract: A swash plate compressor that prevents a slide plate from being separated from a swash plate. The compressor includes a drive shaft. A slide plate is rotatable relative to the swash plate. Two shoes is arranged on the swash plate and the slide plate. A bearing arranged between the swash plate and the slide plate and in between the shoes. A piston is connected to the swash plate and the slide plate by the shoes and is reciprocated to compress gas. The swash plate includes a swash plate support surface, and the slide plate includes a slide plate support surface, in which each surface is for contacting the bearing. The swash plate is formed so that a clearance between the swash plate support surface and the slide plate support surface increases radially inwardly of the swash plate and the slide plate.

Abstract: A variable displacement compressor including a hinge mechanism that is easily machined. The hinge mechanism is arranged in the compressor between the lug plate and the cam plate. The hinge mechanism includes a support formed on the cam plate. A spherical projection extends from the support in a direction rearward with respect to the direction a drive shaft rotates. A 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 lug plate surrounding and guiding the spherical portion. A second cam is formed on the lug plate. The second cam includes a cam surface that contacts and guides the roller.

Abstract: A heat insulating structure in a piston type compressor includes a heat insulating member. The piston type compressor includes a cylinder block and a cover housing connected to the cylinder block, a piston is accommodated in a cylinder bore defined in the cylinder block to define a compression chamber. A suction pressure region and a discharge pressure region are defined in the cover housing. The piston is reciprocated in the cylinder bore in accordance with rotation of a rotary shaft so that refrigerant gas is drawn from the suction pressure region to the compression chamber and discharged from the compression chamber to the discharge pressure region. The heat insulating member has a predetermined shape and is located in the cylinder block. The heat insulating member has an inner peripheral surface that defines the cylinder bore.

Abstract: A controller for a variable displacement compressor that maintains high displacement while preventing excessive increase in discharge pressure. The controller includes a pressure sensing mechanism for detecting pressure of a suction pressure region in the compressor. A suction pressure controlling means controls the displacement of the compressor so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensing mechanism is converged to a predetermined suction pressure setting. A sensor detects pressure of a discharge pressure region in the compressor. A discharge pressure controlling means controls the displacement of the compressor so that the pressure detected by the sensor is converged to a predetermined discharge pressure setting. When the pressure detected by the sensor is greater than a threshold pressure, an ECU switches the control of the compressor from control with the suction pressure controlling means to control with the discharge pressure controlling means.

Abstract: A heat-insulating mechanism in a compressor which introduces refrigerant gas from a suction pressure region to a compression chamber and discharges the refrigerant gas from the compression chamber to a discharge pressure region has a circular passage, a communication passage, a cylindrical member and a passage heat-insulating member. The circular passage, which is a portion of the suction pressure region, has a circular cross-section, and is in communication with an external refrigerant circuit. The communication passage, which is a portion of the suction pressure region, intersects the circular passage for connection therewith, and is communicable with the compression chamber. The cylindrical member is fitted into the circular passage. The passage heat-insulating member made of an insulating material covers at least a portion of a passage wall surface which forms the communication passage.

Abstract: A compressor has a suction chamber and a discharge chamber, and compresses refrigerant gas. The compressor includes a cover housing having an inner wall surface. The inner wall surface defines at least one of the suction chamber and the discharge chamber. A heat insulating member covers the inner wall surface. A flow restraining member restrains refrigerant gas from flowing between the heat insulating member and the inner wall surface. Hence, the adiabatic efficiency increases in at least one of the suction chamber and the discharge chamber within the compressor.

Abstract: A power transmission mechanism for transmitting driving power between a shaft and a rotor connected to the shaft includes a cylindrical adapter located between the shaft and the rotor and a screw seat arranged on the shaft. The adapter has a first internally threaded portion in its inner peripheral surface and a first externally threaded portion in its outer peripheral surface. The first internally threaded portion is engaged with a second externally threaded portion of the shaft, and the first externally threaded portion is engaged with a second internally threaded portion of the rotor. The screw seat has a screw seat surface. The adapter is screwed onto the shaft such that the adapter is pressed against the screw seat surface, and the rotor is screwed onto the adapter such that the rotor is pressed against the screw seat surface.

Abstract: A shaft sealing assembly seals a rotary shaft of a refrigerant compressor with a first sealing member, which is a lip seal. The first sealing member has a hollow portion. As the pressure in the interior space of the compressor housing increases, an outer wall surrounding the hollow portion is elastically deformed. Accordingly, a lip portion of the first sealing member receives a tension that weakens a force pressing the lip portion against the rotary shaft. Therefore, the sealing assembly improves the durability of the lip portion and maintains a satisfactory property of the lip portion to follow displacement of the rotary shaft at the same time.

Abstract: An aluminum based composite material includes a matrix and a reinforcing material. The matrix mainly contains aluminum and contains magnesium. The reinforcing material is constituted of whisker and nitriding short fiber which is treated by nitriding process. The reinforcing material is dispersedly contained in the matrix. The aluminum based composite material has a high thermal resistance.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a variable displacement compressor has an information detector and a controller. The information detector detects information about the thermal load on the refrigeration circuit. The controller determines a target value that reflects the displacement of the compressor based on the information about the thermal load detected by the information detector, and outputs the target value as a command value. When determining that the compressor is in a heavy load state based on information about a load on the compressor, the controller changes the command value to a value that causes the displacement of the compressor to become smaller than a displacement that corresponds to the determined target value.

Abstract: A by-pass device in a variable displacement compressor has a by-pass passage, a valve body and a deformable separator. The by-pass passage interconnects a discharge pressure region with a crank chamber for releasing refrigerant from the discharge pressure region to the crank chamber. The valve body is arranged in the by-pass passage for opening and closing the by-pass passage. The deformable separator separates a back pressure region from the by-pass passage without sliding. The valve body is urged from a side of an opened position where the valve body is spaced from a valve seat toward a side of a closed position where the valve body contacts with the valve seat by pressure applied from the back pressure region to the separator. The valve body is moved from the closed position to the opened position by deforming the deformable separator.

Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus has a compressor, a radiator, an expansion device, an evaporator, and a variable-speed mechanism. When a rotary shaft of the compressor is rotated, the compressor increases the pressure of refrigerant. The radiator cools refrigerant the pressure of which has been increased by the compressor. The expansion device generates power using the decompression and expansion and transmits the power to the rotary shaft. The evaporator heats refrigerant that has been decompressed and expanded by the expansion device. The variable-speed mechanism is capable of changing the discharge rate of the expansion device per rotation of the rotary shaft. This permits the expansion device to increase the amount of recovered power.

Abstract: A shaft sealing assembly seals a rotary shaft of a refrigerant compressor with a first sealing member, which is a lip seal. The first sealing member has a hollow portion. As the pressure in the interior space of the compressor housing increases, an outer wall surrounding the hollow portion is elastically deformed. Accordingly, a lip portion of the first sealing member receives a tension that weakens a force pressing the lip portion against the rotary shaft. Therefore, the sealing assembly improves the durability of the lip portion and maintains a satisfactory property of the lip portion to follow displacement of the rotary shaft at the same time.

Abstract: In a control system of a variable displacement compressor, a pressure sensing means mechanically detects at least one pressure in the refrigerant circuit. A varying means varies a reference value for positioning a valve body. A pressure detector electrically detects the pressure detected by the pressure sensing means in the refrigerant circuit and/or physical quantity which correlates with the detected pressure. A calculator calculates a maximum value of urging force applied to the valve body by the varying means toward an increasing side of the displacement of the compressor. The urging force applied to the valve body is controlled not to exceed the maximum value toward the increasing side of the displacement. The displacement of the compressor is maximized by the pressure sensing means under the pressure for calculating the maximum value when the varying means applies urging force of the maximum value to the valve body.

Abstract: A variable displacement swash plate type compressor includes a bearing, a thrust bearing, a lug plate and urging means. The urging means is placed between the bearing and the lug plate and has urging force for reducing thrust force applied to the thrust bearing. The bearing receives radial force and thrust force.

Abstract: A variable displacement compressor optionally varies displacement based upon pressure in a crank chamber for adjusting the pressure in the crank chamber by varying an opening degree of a passage that interconnects the crank chamber and one of relatively high and low pressure regions of the refrigeration cycle. A control valve of the variable displacement compressor has a valve seat and a valve. The valve seat has a seat surface for adjusting the opening degree of the passage. The valve has a valve surface for adjusting the opening degree of the passage. At least one of the seat surface and the valve surface is made of a material with relatively high hardness.

Abstract: A compressor has a first housing, a second housing, a valve plate, a suction valve, a discharge valve and a sealing coat. The first housing includes a compression chamber. The second housing includes a suction chamber and a discharge chamber. The valve plate is interposed between the first housing and the second housing. The suction valve is disposed between the first housing and the valve plate. The discharge valve is disposed between the second housing and the valve plate. The valve plate forms a suction port intercommunicating the suction chamber and the compression chamber, and a discharge port intercommunicating the discharge chamber and the compression chamber. The sealing coat made of soft metal is provided between the suction valve and the valve plate, and/or between the discharge valve and the valve plate.

Abstract: A control device includes a first passage, a second passage, a third passage, a displacement control valve and an auxiliary valve. The displacement control valve is placed in the first passage. The auxiliary valve includes a valve chamber, a spool valve and an urging means. The spool valve is slidably accommodated in the valve chamber. The spool valve divides the valve chamber into a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber, to communicate the first pressure chamber with the first passage and to communicate the second pressure chamber with the second passage. The urging means is placed in the valve chamber for urging the spool valve toward the first pressure chamber. The third passage communicates with the first pressure chamber and/or the second pressure chamber by the movement of the spool valve.

Abstract: A piston type compressor has a housing, a cylinder block and a piston. The cylinder block is fixed to the housing. The piston is accommodated in the cylinder block. A piston ring is provided between the cylinder block and the piston. A sealing coat is made of soft metal, and is provided between the piston ring and the piston.

Abstract: An air conditioner has a refrigerant circuit, a control valve, a detector, a calculator, a suction pressure sensor and a compressor controller. The refrigerant circuit includes a variable displacement compressor. First and second pressure monitoring points are located in the refrigerant circuit. The control valve includes an actuator and a pressure sensing mechanism that has a pressure sensing member and a valve body. The detector detects cooling load information in the refrigerant circuit. The calculator calculates a target pressure in a relatively low pressure region in the refrigerant circuit in response to the detected cooling load information. The suction pressure sensor detects actual pressure in the reiatively low pressure region in the refrigerant circuit. The compressor controller controls the actuator to eliminate a differential between the calculated target pressure and the detected actual pressure.