Lubricating oil feeding mechanism in a swash type compressor

Abstract

Lubricating oil feeding mechanism has an oil-collecting recess and an oil-supplying groove formed on the wall of the housing. The oil-collecting recess connects a gap defined between the through hole and the bolt to the oil-supplying groove, the gap being in the upper position with respect to a sliding part to be lubricated in the housing in an operating state of the mounted compressor. The oil-collecting recess extends from the gap in the circumferential direction of the drive shaft, and the oil-supplying groove upwardly extends toward the oil-collecting recess. The oil-supplying groove is arranged so as to guide lubricating oil to the sliding part. Lubricating oil adhered on the bolt can be collected to the oil-collecting recess via the gap, and is fed to the sliding part through the oil-supplying groove. Therefore, a large amount of lubricating oil in a swash plate chamber can be utilized to lubricate the sliding part.

1 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism in a swash type compressor having:
 a housing comprising a plurality of housing elements, in which a swash plate chamber is formed for receiving a swash plate therein, and which defines a cylinder bore therein;   a plurality of bolts arranged through the swash plate chamber and in through holes formed on a wall of the housing for fastening the housing elements to form the housing;   a drive shaft rotatably supported by the housing, the drive shaft being coupled to the swash plate;   a piston accommodated in the cylinder bore so as to define a compression chamber in the cylinder bore, the piston being coupled to the swash plate; and   a suction chamber and a discharge chamber formed in the housing respectively, both being connectable to the compression chamber;   the lubricating oil feeding mechanism comprising an oil-collecting recess and an oil-supplying groove formed respectively on a side wall surface being defined on the wall of the housing and facing the swash plate chamber,   wherein the oil-collecting recess connects a gap defined between the through hole and the bolt to the oil-supplying groove, the gap being in the upper position with respect to a sliding part to be lubricated in the housing in an operating state of the mounted compressor, wherein the oil-collecting recess extends from the gap in the circumferential direction of the drive shaft, and wherein the oil-supplying groove extends upwardly toward the oil-collecting recess,   wherein the oil-supplying groove is arranged so that oil guided along the oil-supplying groove is led to the sliding part.   
   
   
       2 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil-collecting recess extends from the gap in the rotational direction of the drive shaft. 
   
   
       3 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil-collecting recess extends from the gap in the opposite direction of the rotational direction of the drive shaft. 
   
   
       4 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil-collecting recess has a connection groove as a part thereof, the connection groove connecting the gap to the rest of the oil-collecting recess,
 wherein the width of the connection groove is narrower than the diameter of the through hole.   
   
   
       5 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil-collecting recess further extends downwardly from the through hole in an operating state of the mounted compressor. 
   
   
       6 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil-collecting recess extends so that the width of the oil-collecting recess is substantially the same as the diameter of the through hole along the longitudinal direction of the oil-collecting recess. 
   
   
       7 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sub oil-collecting recess extending from the gap in the opposite direction of the extending direction of the oil-collecting recess with respect to the gap from which the oil-collecting recess extends. 
   
   
       8 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 7 , wherein the sub oil-collecting recess extends over two of the gaps to connect the gaps to each other. 
   
   
       9 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil-supplying groove is formed deeper than the oil-collecting recess to promote oil flow from the oil-collecting recess to the groove. 
   
   
       10 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil-collecting recess has a first oil-collecting recess and a second oil-collecting recess, the first oil-collecting recess extending from one of the gaps in the rotational direction of the drive shaft, the second oil-collecting recess extending from another one of the gaps in the opposite direction of the rotational direction of the drive shaft,
 wherein the oil-supplying groove has a first oil-supplying groove and a second oil-supplying groove, the first oil-supplying groove being connected to the first oil-collecting recess at a forward position in the rotational direction of the drive shaft with respect to the gap connected to the first oil-collecting recess, the second oil-supplying groove being connected to the second oil-collecting recess at a backward position in the rotational direction of the drive shaft with respect to the gap connected to the second oil-collecting recess.   
   
   
       11 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism in the swash type compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing elements include a front housing in which the oil-collecting recess and the oil-supplying groove are formed respectively, wherein the front housing supports the sliding part, and
 the lubricating oil feeding mechanism includes a oil-supplying aperture formed in the front housing,   wherein the oil-supplying aperture is connected to the oil-supplying groove and extends toward the sliding part so that oil guided along the oil-supplying groove and the oil-supplying aperture is led to the sliding part.   
   
   
       12 . Lubricating oil feeding mechanism in the swash type compressor according to  claim 11 , the compressor having a shaft seal disposed between the front housing and the drive shaft to prevent refrigerant gas in the swash plate chamber from leaking outside;
 wherein the sliding part is the shaft seal.