Compressor

Abstract

A compressor has a housing, which supports a rotary shaft, and a crank chamber. A swash plate is accommodated in the crank chamber. The compressor has an oil chamber located in the housing near a front end portion of the rotary shaft. The oil chamber has an inlet and an outlet. The outlet connects to the suction pressure zone. Either lubricant oil that is separated from refrigerant gas or refrigerant gas in the suction pressure zone flows into the oil chamber from the inlet and flows out from the outlet to the suction pressure zone. A seal mechanism seals the oil chamber. A seal seals between the oil chamber and the crank chamber. This permits an inclination angle of the swash plate to control accurately and smoothly while lubricating the seal mechanism optimally.

1 . A compressor comprising: 
 a housing, which has a suction pressure zone, and a crank chamber;    a cylinder bore formed in the housing;    a rotary shaft, which has a front end portion and a rear end portion, wherein the rotary shaft is supported by the housing such that the front end portion of the rotary shaft protrudes from the housing;    a piston accommodated in the cylinder bore;    a swash plate, which is accommodated in the crank chamber and is connected to the piston such that rotation of the rotary shaft is converted to reciprocation of the piston;    an oil chamber located in the housing near the front end portion of the rotary shaft, wherein the oil chamber has an inlet and an outlet, wherein the outlet connects to the suction pressure zone, wherein either lubricant oil that is separated from refrigerant gas or refrigerant gas in the suction pressure zone flows into the oil chamber from the inlet and flows out from the outlet to the suction pressure zone;    a seal mechanism for sealing the oil chamber; and    a seal for sealing between the oil chamber and the crank chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal mechanism is located in the vicinity of the front end portion of the rotary shaft, wherein the seal is located between the seal mechanism and the crank chamber.  
     
     
         3 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the inclination of the swash plate is changed in accordance with the pressure of the crank chamber, and a stroke of the piston is changed.  
     
     
         4 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein a pipe connects the outlet of the oil chamber to the suction pressure zone.  
     
     
         5 . The compressor according to  claim 1  further being connected to an external refrigerant circuit, wherein the compressor has an oil separator, which separates lubricant oil from the refrigerant gas, wherein the oil separator is connected to the external refrigerant circuit.  
     
     
         6 . The compressor according to  claim 5 , wherein the oil separator is an accumulator, which separates refrigerant liquid and refrigerant gas.  
     
     
         7 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein an oil separator is accommodated in the compressor, wherein the lubricant oil separated by the oil separator is introduced to the oil chamber through the inlet of the oil chamber.  
     
     
         8 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the oil chamber is located above the axis of the rotary shaft.  
     
     
         9 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal is located in the periphery of the rotary shaft, wherein the seal has a C-shaped cross section.  
     
     
         10 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal has an L-shaped cross section.  
     
     
         11 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal has a square-shaped cross section.  
     
     
         12 . A compressor comprising: 
 a housing, which has a suction pressure zone, and a crank chamber;    a plurality of cylinder bores formed in the housing;    a rotary shaft which has a front end portion and a rear end portion, wherein the rotary shaft is supported by the housing such that the front end portion of the rotary shaft protrudes from the housing;    a piston accommodated in each of the cylinder bores;    a swash plate, which is accommodated in the crank chamber and is connected to the piston such that rotation of the rotary shaft is converted to reciprocation of the piston, wherein the swash plate is supported by the rotary shaft to change the inclination of the swash plate and a stroke of the piston is changed;    an oil chamber located in the housing near the front end portion of the rotary shaft, wherein the oil chamber has an inlet and an outlet, wherein the outlet connects to the suction pressure zone and is located above the axis of the rotary shaft, wherein either lubricant oil separated from refrigerant gas or refrigerant gas in the suction pressure zone flows in the oil chamber form the inlet and flows out from the outlet to the suction pressure zone;    a seal mechanism for preventing the refrigerant gas from leaking to an outside of the housing, wherein the seal mechanism is located in the front end portion of the rotary shaft; and    a seal for sealing between the oil chamber and the crank chamber, wherein the seal is located between the seal mechanism and the crank chamber.    
     
     
         13 . The compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein a pipe connects the outlet of the oil chamber to the suction pressure zone.  
     
     
         14 . The compressor according to  claim 12  further being connected to an external refrigerant circuit, wherein the compressor has an oil separator, which separates lubricant oil from the refrigerant gas, wherein the oil separator is connected to the external refrigerant circuit.  
     
     
         15 . The compressor according to  claim 14 , wherein the oil separator is an accumulator, which separates refrigerant liquid and refrigerant gas.  
     
     
         16 . The compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein an oil separator is accommodated in the compressor, wherein the lubricant oil separated by the oil separator is introduced to the oil chamber through the inlet of the oil chamber.  
     
     
         17 . The compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the seal is located in the periphery of the rotary shaft, wherein the seal has a C-shaped cross section.  
     
     
         18 . The compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the seal has an L-shaped cross section.  
     
     
         19 . The compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the seal has a square-shaped cross section.