Swash plate type compressor

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to offer a swash plate type compressor, wherein a swash plate is smoothly rotated relative to a drive shaft, whereby noise and vibration in the direction perpendicular to the drive shaft are reduced, and wherein a roller bearing with small frictional resistance is used, whereby mechanical loss is reduced. The swash plate type compressor comprises, a housing having a crank chamber and a plurality of cylinder bores therein, pistons, the drive shaft and the swash plate supported by the supporting member and converting the rotation of the drive shaft to the reciprocating movement of the pistons. A supporting member, which has a supporting surface crossing with respect to an axis of the drive shaft at a certain angle and a supporting shaft portion formed perpendicular to the supporting surface, is integrally and rotatably mounted around the drive shaft. The swash plate is rotatably supported relative to the supporting member through a thrust bearing on the supporting surface, and through the roller bearing as a radial bearing around the supporting shaft portion.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A swash plate type compressor comprising: 
 a housing having a crank chamber and a plurality of cylinder bores therein;    a drive shaft inserted in said crank chamber so as to be rotated;    pistons accommodated in said cylinder bores so as to be reciprocated;    a supporting member mounted around said drive shaft to be rotated integrally with said drive shaft, said supporting member having a supporting surface and a supporting shaft portion; and    a swash plate supported by said supporting member and converting the rotation of said drive shaft to the reciprocating movement of said pistons;    wherein said supporting surface crosses with respect to an axis of said drive shaft at a certain angle, and said supporting shaft portion is formed perpendicular to said supporting surface to be mounted around said drive shaft,    and wherein said swash plate is rotatably supported relative to said supporting member through a thrust bearing between said supporting surface and said swash plate and through a roller bearing between said supporting shaft portion and said swash plate.    
     
     
         2 . The swash plate type compressor according to    claim 1   , wherein said drive shaft is driven by an electric motor.  
     
     
         3 . The swash plate type compressor according to    claim 1   , wherein said swash plate compressor is a multistage type having a compression chamber in lower pressure, where a refrigerant gas drawn from an external refrigerant circuit is compressed, and a compression chamber in higher pressure, where the refrigerant gas in intermediate pressure, at least once compressed, is drawn and compressed.  
     
     
         4 . The swash plate type compressor according to    claim 1   , wherein said piston is operably connected to said swash plate through a pair of semispherical shoes sandwiching said swash plate therebetween.  
     
     
         5 . The swash plate type compressor according to    claim 3   , wherein carbon dioxide gas is used as the refrigerant gas.