Variable displacement compressors

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. The rotor preferably includes a set of functional parts defined by a rotary disk, a guide disposed on the rotary disk and a weight disposed on the rotary disk to adjust the weight balance of the rotating rotor. At least one of the functional parts is formed by pressing and punching a metal plate. In addition or in the alternative, two or more of the functional parts may be integrally and seamlessly manufactured by pressing and punching a metal plate.

1 . A variable displacement compressor comprising: 
 a drive shaft,    a swash plate inclinably coupled to the drive shaft,    a piston disposed within a cylinder bore, an end portion of the piston connected to a peripheral edge of the swash plate by a shoe, the piston reciprocating within the cylinder bore to compress the refrigerant in response to rotation of the inclined swash plate, wherein the inclination angle of the swash plate can be changed to change the compressor output discharge capacity,    a rotor coupled to the drive shaft, wherein the rotor rotates together with the rotating drive shaft, the rotor includes functional parts defined by a rotary disk, a guide disposed on the rotary disk and a weight disposed on the rotary disk to regulate the weight balance of the rotating rotor, at least one of the functional parts is formed by pressing a plate and    a hinge mechanism connecting the swash plate with the rotor by means of the guide on the rotary disk of the rotor, the hinge mechanism transmitting torque from the driving shaft to the swash plate regardless of the inclination angle of the swash plate.    
     
     
         2 . A variable displacement compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein each functional part is separately manufactured by pressing and punching a plate.  
     
     
         3 . A variable displacement compressor comprising: 
 a drive shaft,    a swash plate inclinably coupled to the drive shaft,    a piston disposed within a cylinder bore, an end portion of the piston connected to a peripheral edge of the swash plate by a shoe, the piston reciprocating within the cylinder bore to compress the refrigerant in response to rotation of the inclined swash plate, wherein the inclination angle of the swash plate can be changed to change the compressor output discharge capacity,    a rotor coupled to the drive shaft, wherein the rotor rotates together with the rotating drive shaft, the rotor includes functional parts defined by a rotary disk, a guide disposed on the rotary disk and a weight disposed on the rotary disk to adjust the weight balance of the rotating rotor and wherein at least two of the functional parts are integrally and seamlessly manufactured by pressing and punching a plate,    a hinge mechanism connecting the swash plate with the rotor by means of the guide on the rotary disk of the rotor, the hinge mechanism transmitting torque from the driving shaft to the swash plate regardless of the inclination angle of the swash plate.    
     
     
         4 . A variable displacement compressor according to  claim 3 , wherein the rotary disk and the weight are integrally and seamlessly manufactured by pressing and punching a plate.  
     
     
         5 . A variable displacement compressor according to  claim 3 , wherein the weight and the guide are integrally and seamlessly manufactured by pressing and punching a plate.  
     
     
         6 . A variable displacement compressor comprising: 
 a drive shaft,    a swash plate inclinably coupled to the drive shaft,    a piston disposed within a cylinder bore, an end portion of the piston connected to a peripheral edge of the swash plate by a shoe, the piston reciprocating within the cylinder bore to compress the refrigerant in response to rotation of the inclined swash plate, wherein the inclination angle of the swash plate can be changed to change the compressor output discharge capacity,    a rotor that includes a rotary disk rotatably coupled to the drive shaft and    a hinge mechanism that includes a guide member and a guide protrusion that receives the guide member, the hinge mechanism connecting the swash plate with the rotor to transmit torque from the driving shaft to the swash plate by means of the guide member engaged with the guide protrusion regardless of the inclination angle of the swash plate, wherein at least one of the guide member and the guide protrusion is manufactured independent from the rotary disk and is then integrally joined to the rotary disk.    
     
     
         7 . A variable displacement compressor according to  claim 6 , wherein the rotary disk is manufactured by pressing and punching a plate.  
     
     
         8 . A variable displacement compressor according to  claim 6 , wherein the guide is manufactured by pressing and punching a plate.  
     
     
         9 . A variable displacement compressor according to  claim 6  further comprising a thrust bearing that includes a roller to rotatably support the rotor, wherein the thrust bearing is provided between the inner surface of the compressor housing and the rotor and the roller directly contacts the front surface of the rotor.  
     
     
         10 . A method of manufacturing a variable displacement compressor according to  claim 1  comprising: 
 pressing and punching a metal plate in order to form at least one functional part, wherein the functional parts are then joined in order to form the rotor.  
 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a variable displacement compressor according to  claim 2  comprising: 
 separately pressing and punching a plurality of metal plates in order to form the functional part, wherein the functional parts are then joined in order to form the rotor.  
 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a variable displacement compressor according to  claim 3 , wherein at least two functional parts are integrally and seamlessly manufactured using at least two types of manufacturing processes defined by pressing and punching a plate.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the rotary disk and the weight are integrally and seamlessly manufactured.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the weight and the guide are integrally and seamlessly manufactured.  
     
     
         15 . A method for manufacturing a compressor comprising: 
 forming a rotary disk by pressing a metal plate W to a thickness corresponding the final thickness of the rotary disk, punching the metal plate to form an intermediate disk part and then deeply drawing the intermediate disk part to form the rotary disk, and    assembling the rotary disk with a guide member and a weight on a drive shaft of the compressor.    
     
     
         16 . A method for manufacturing a compressor comprising: 
 forming a guide member by pressing a metal plate W to a thickness corresponding the final thickness of the guide member, punching the metal plate to form an intermediate guide part and then bending the intermediate guide part to form the guide member, and    assembling the guide member with a rotary disk and a weight on a drive shaft of the compressor.    
     
     
         17 . A method for manufacturing a compressor comprising: 
 forming a balancing weight by pressing a metal plate W to a thickness corresponding the final thickness of the rotary disk, punching the metal plate to form the balancing weight, and    assembling the balancing weight with a rotary disk and a guide member on a drive shaft of the compressor.    
     
     
         18 . A method as in  claim 17 , wherein the balancing weight is integrally and seamlessly manufactured with the rotary disk by pressing and punching the metal plate to form an intermediate disk part and then bending and drawing the intermediate disk part to form the balancing weight and the rotary disk.  
     
     
         19 . A method as in  claim 18 , further comprising forming link parts by bending the intermediate disk part.  
     
     
         20 . A method as in  claim 17 , wherein the balancing weight is integrally and seamlessly manufactured with the guide member by pressing and punching the metal plate to form an intermediate disk part and then bending and drawing the intermediate disk part to form the balancing weight and the guide member.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the metal plate is cold-rolled steel plate or carbon steel, such as S35C or S45C.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the metal plate is cold-rolled steel plate or carbon steel, such as S35C or S45C.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the metal plate is cold-rolled steel plate or carbon steel, such as S35C or S45C.