Swash plate compressor

Abstract

A swash plate type compressor includes a drive shaft, a swash plate, a piston, a cylinder block, a housing, a cylinder bore, a compression chamber, suction and discharge chambers and first and second thrust bearings. The cylinder bore is formed in the cylinder block and receiving therein the piston engaged with the swash plate mounted on the drive shaft. The compression chamber is defined in the cylinder bore by the piston so as to be communicable with the suction and the discharge chambers formed in the housing. The first and the second thrust bearings are disposed on opposite sides of the swash plate. The drive shaft extends through the cylinder block and supported in a thrust direction by the first and the second thrust bearings, and either one of the first and the second thrust bearings is disposed outside the cylinder block and between the housing and the drive shaft.

1 . A swash plate type compressor comprising:
 a drive shaft;   a swash plate mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the drive shaft;   a piston engaged with the swash plate;   a cylinder block accommodating the swash plate;   a housing connected to the cylinder block;   a cylinder bore formed in the cylinder block and receiving the piston in the cylinder bore;   a compression chamber defined in the cylinder bore by the piston;   a suction chamber formed in the housing so as to be communicable with the compression chamber;   a discharge chamber formed in the housing so as to be communicable with the compression chamber; and   a first thrust bearing and a second thrust bearing disposed on opposite sides of the swash plate,   wherein the drive shaft extends through the cylinder block and is supported in a thrust direction by the first thrust bearing and the second thrust bearing, and at least either one of the first thrust bearing and the second thrust bearing is disposed outside the cylinder block and between the housing and the drive shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The swash plate type compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a front housing connected to the front end of the cylinder block and a rear housing connected to the rear end of the cylinder block,
 the cylinder bore includes a first cylinder bore formed on the front side of the cylinder block and a second cylinder bore formed on the rear side of the cylinder block,   the piston includes a first piston head reciprocable in the first cylinder bore and a second piston head reciprocable in the second cylinder bore, and   the first thrust bearing is disposed between the front housing and the drive shaft and the second thrust bearing is disposed between the rear housing and the drive shaft.   
     
     
         3 . The swash plate type compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first thrust bearing and the second thrust bearing, serves as a cushion with the housing and the drive shaft for receiving thrust force by deforming the at least one of the first thrust bearing and the second thrust bearing. 
     
     
         4 . The swash plate type compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first thrust bearing and the second thrust bearing faces the suction chamber.