Axial Piston Compressor

Abstract

Axial piston compressor, especially a compressor for motor vehicle air-conditioning systems, having at least one piston and having a tilt plate, especially a ring-shaped tilt plate, which is variable in terms of its inclination with respect to a drive shaft and which is driven in rotation by the drive shaft and is connected to—especially in articulated connection with—at least one supporting element arranged at a spacing from the drive shaft and rotating together therewith, the piston(s) having in each case an articulated arrangement with which the tilt plate is in sliding engagement, and the supporting element being in operative engagement with a force transmission element which rotates together with the drive shaft, wherein the supporting element is in articulated connection with the force transmission element so as to be displaceable in a radial direction and/or perpendicular thereto, especially perpendicular to the drive shaft axis.

1 - 38 . (canceled) 
   
   
       39 . An axial piston compressor for a motor vehicle air-conditioning system or other axial piston compressor, said compressor comprising:
 a drive shaft,   at least one piston,   a ring-shaped or other tilt plate, said tilt plate being variable in terms of its inclination with respect to said drive shaft and being arranged to be driven in rotation by said drive shaft,   at least one supporting element arranged at a spacing from said drive shaft and rotating together therewith, said tilt plate being in articulated or other connection with said at least one supporting element,   an articulated arrangement for the or each piston, said tilt plate being in sliding engagement with said articulated arrangement(s), and   a force transmission element with which said at least one supporting element is in operative engagement, said force transmission element being operative to rotate together with said drive shaft, wherein said supporting element is in articulated connection with said force transmission element so as to be displaceable in a direction selected from the group consisting of a radial direction thereto, perpendicular thereto, perpendicular to the drive shaft axis, and a radial direction perpendicular thereto.   
   
   
       40 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said supporting element is in the shape of a cylindrical pin. 
   
   
       41 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said supporting element has a groove with which said force transmission element is in operative engagement. 
   
   
       42 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said supporting element has a pocket-shaped recess with which said force transmission element is in operative engagement. 
   
   
       43 . A compressor according  claim 39 , wherein at least that end region of said force transmission element which faces said supporting element is a flat steel part and has an approximately rectangular peripheral contour. 
   
   
       44 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said force transmission element is connected to said drive shaft in a manner which does not allow relative rotation. 
   
   
       45 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said force transmission element is in interlocking connection or friction-based connection or other operative engagement with said drive shaft in a manner which allows relative rotation and/or is mounted thereon or therein in a manner which allows relative rotation. 
   
   
       46 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said force transmission element is part of said drive shaft or formed in one piece with the latter or otherwise integrated into the latter. 
   
   
       47 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said supporting element and said force transmission element serve substantially only for providing the pistons with axial support or, that is, for gas force support, whereas an articulated connection or other arrangement independent thereof between the drive shaft and the tilt plate serves substantially only for torque transfer. 
   
   
       48 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said tilt plate is pivotally mounted on a sliding sleeve mounted so as to be axially displaceable along said drive shaft, and wherein said tilt plate is connected by way of drive pins to a part(s) selected from the group consisting of said sliding sleeve, said drive shaft, and said sliding sleeve and said drive shaft. 
   
   
       49 . A compressor according to  claim 48 , wherein said drive pins are secured by an arrangement selected from the group consisting of being introduced into said sliding sleeve with a press fit, being introduced into said tilt plate with a press fit, secured therein by means of axial securing elements, and secured therein by means of circlips. 
   
   
       50 . A compressor according to  claim 48 , wherein a feather key or other connecting element is arranged between said drive shaft and said sliding sleeve, which connecting element allows transfer of forces and moments in a radial direction and which is mounted in axially displaceable manner on said drive shaft. 
   
   
       51 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein the torque transfer between said drive shaft and said tilt plate is accomplished by means of an arrangement selected from the group consisting of flattened regions at said drive shaft, flattened regions on said drive shaft, surfaces at the drive shaft and said tilt plate which correspond at least in part to one another, surfaces on the drive shaft and said tilt plate which correspond at least in part to one another, surfaces at a sliding sleeve and said tilt plate which correspond at least in part to one another, surfaces on a sliding sleeve and said tilt plate which correspond at least in part to one another, and a combination of said drive shaft surfaces and said sliding sleeve surfaces. 
   
   
       52 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said supporting element is mounted in said tilt plate in a bore or other cylindrical recess which extends perpendicular to the drive shaft axis. 
   
   
       53 . A compressor according to  claim 52 , wherein said supporting element is secured in said recess in said tilt plate by means of at least one circlip. 
   
   
       54 . A compressor according to  claim 52 , wherein said supporting element is secured in said recess in said tilt plate by means of at least one grub screw or other threaded fastening element. 
   
   
       55 . A compressor according to  claim 54 , wherein two or at least one or more fastening element(s) is/are arranged in said recess in said tilt plate. 
   
   
       56 . A compressor according to  claim 54 , wherein said at least one fastening element is arranged in a radially extending additional recess in said tilt plate and extends into an, optionally further, groove in said supporting element, which groove is arranged on the latter. 
   
   
       57 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said force transmission element is, at its end facing said drive shaft, ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped and is mounted on said drive shaft or in operative engagement with a ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped element which is mounted on the external diameter of said drive shaft. 
   
   
       58 . A compressor according to  claim 57 , wherein said ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped end of said force transmission element or the ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped element is secured in a radial direction by means of a feather key. 
   
   
       59 . A compressor according to  claim 57 , wherein said ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped end of said force transmission element or said ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped element is secured in an axial direction by means of a grooved nut or other machine element or other securing arrangement. 
   
   
       60 . A compressor according to  claim 57 , wherein said ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped end of said force transmission element or said ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped element has at least one groove extending in an axial direction, in which at least one or said drive pin(s) or the device(s) for transfer of the torque engage(s). 
   
   
       61 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein between said supporting element and said force transmission element a length compensation in an approximately radial direction is provided. 
   
   
       62 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein the centre of an articulation resulting from the articulated connection of said supporting element to said tilt plate is, for small angles of deflection of the tilt plate, radially further away from said drive shaft central axis than is the centre of an articulation resulting from the articulated connection of said piston(s) to said tilt plate. 
   
   
       63 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein the centre of an articulation resulting from the articulated connection of said supporting element to said tilt plate is, for large angles of deflection of the tilt plate, radially closer to said drive shaft central axis than is the centre of an articulation resulting from the articulated connection of said piston(s) to said tilt plate. 
   
   
       64 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein the centre of an articulation resulting from the articulated connection of said supporting element to said tilt plate is, for one or at least one angle of deflection of said tilt plate, radially the same distance away from said drive shaft central axis as is the centre of an articulation resulting from the articulated connection of said piston(s) to said tilt plate. 
   
   
       65 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein the central axis of an element(s) selected from the group consisting of said supporting element, said force transmission element, and said supporting element and said force transmission element forms with the drive shaft central axis, for all angles of deflection of said tilt plate, an included angle which is not equal to 90°, that is to say the central axis of said supporting element and/or of said force transmission element is arranged at said tilt plate at an angle which is greater than 0°. 
   
   
       66 . A compressor according to  claim 65 , wherein the middle angle of deflection of said tilt plate corresponds approximately to half the difference of the maximum angle at which the central axis of said supporting element and/or of said force transmission element is arranged at said tilt plate and the minimum angle at which the central axis of said supporting element and/or of said force transmission element is arranged at said tilt plate. 
   
   
       67 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein the radial spacing of the articulation between said supporting element and said force transmission element from the drive shaft central axis is, for small angles of deflection of the tilt plate, greater than the radial spacing of the centre of the piston articulations from the drive shaft central axis. 
   
   
       68 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein the sum of the moments due to the masses moved in translation and due to the masses moved in rotation, especially due to the moment of deviation of the tilt plate, is, for all angles of deflection, especially for large angles of deflection and more especially for the maximum angle of deflection of the tilt plate, approximately 0 or approximately constant otherwise. 
   
   
       69 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said supporting element has, extending in a radial direction, a rectangular or other recess in which said force transmission element is mounted. 
   
   
       70 . A compressor according to  claim 69 , wherein the cross-section of said recess, in a radially outer region, becomes larger in a radial direction towards the outside, whereas it is approximately constant in a radially inner region. 
   
   
       71 . A compressor according to  claim 70 , wherein those edges of said force transmission element which are radially on the outside are, for any angle of tilt of the tilt plate, arranged in the radially outer region, that is to say they extend beyond the region of the approximately constant recess cross-section. 
   
   
       72 . A compressor according to  claim 39  having a housing and a drive mechanism chamber substantially defined by the housing, wherein there is arranged between said drive mechanism chamber and the inlet gas side a fluid connection which extends at least partly through said drive shaft. 
   
   
       73 . A compressor according to  claim 72 , wherein the fluid connection comprises, in the drive shaft, at least one recess, especially a bore, which extends approximately axially and at least one which extends approximately radially. 
   
   
       74 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein at least that end region of said force transmission element which faces said drive shaft is approximately cylindrical. 
   
   
       75 . A compressor according to  claim 39 , wherein said force transmission element is pressed into or fitted by means of a press fit into said drive shaft. 
   
   
       76 . A compressor according to  claim 72 , wherein the drive-shaft-related end of said force transmission element has a semi-circular, groove-shaped or other recess which is part of the fluid connection between said drive mechanism chamber and the inlet gas side.