Zexel USA Corporation

Diesel Kiki Co., Ltd.

David E Bearint

James I Miller

John S Lee

A variable capacity, vane-type compressor has a cylinder block with an oval rotor chamber. A plurality of vanes mounted in slots on a rotor rotate inside the rotor chamber on a shaft that is concentric with the minor diameter of the rotor chamber. Valves discharge refrigerant gas from the rotor chamber. The front nose block is located on the front side of the cylinder block and contains a bore for the rotor shaft and a set of needle roller bearings which supports the forward end of the shaft. A circular O-ring groove with an O-ring is located on the rearward side of the front nose block at its perimeter for sealing between the front nose block and the forward side of the cylinder block. The cylinder block has internal, weight-reducing voids located outboard of the rotor chamber. The lower voids serve as an oil sump and supply high pressure lubricant to the undervane pressurization manifolds. Like the front nose block groove, the cylinder block has a circular groove machined on a rearward side. The cylinder block groove contains an O-ring for sealing against the rear side block. The rear side block has a bore for the shaft and a needle roller bearing which supports the rearward end of the shaft. A circular O-ring groove is machined on the rearward side of the rear side block and holds an O-ring for sealing between the rear side block and the rear head. A lubricant transmitting passage is located in the blocks. The passage leads from the intake chamber at the rear of the compressor to the bore at the front radial bearing. Each of the components has bolt ears with threaded bolts for securing the components together. The bolt ears are located in the formerly wasted space at the four corners providing the compressor with a rectangular external configuration.

Compressor housing

A method for adjusting an air conditioner compressor for a particular vehicle application involves selecting the proper control curve. The control curve is a graph of suction inlet pressure verses discharge pressure. The graph has a linear portion over which increased discharge pressure decreases suction pressure. The low demand condition at which suction pressure is highest and discharge pressure lowest may result in an evaporator outlet pressure that is too high or too low. To change the evaporator outlet pressure, the control valve for the compressor is adjusted or replaced to vary the slope of the linear portion of the control curve. Varying the slope will change the maximum suction pressure to reach an optimized solution under low demand conditions. The slope is varied by changing a bias pin in the modular control valve to one of a different diameter. The bias pin is one factor that controls the opening and closing of the valve to vary the capacity of the compressor.

Control curve for variable delivery compressor

A rotary vane compressor has a compressor housing which contains an oval chamber. A cylindrical rotor is mounted on an axial shaft and has radial vanes which engage the chamber and slide radially inward and outward in slots formed in the rotor as the shaft rotates. A pair of thrust shoulders are on the shaft, spaced axially apart from each other exterior of the rotor and facing in axially opposite directions. A deep groove ball bearing assembly is stationarily mounted in the housing in engagement with both of the shoulders on the shaft. Radial, moment, and thrust in both axial directions applied to the shaft are transferred by the shoulders through the bearing assembly to the compressor housing.

Bearings for a rotary vane compressor

A variable capacity vane compressor uses a linear actuator. The linear actuator is pivotally connected to a valve plate to rotate the valve plate between minimum delivery and maximum delivery positions. The actuator has springs on each end which bias the actuator to an equilibrium position between the full and minimum delivery positions for start up. Control pressure is supplied to one side of the actuator while the other side of the actuator is at intake pressure.

Variable capacity vane compressor with linear actuator

A control valve for a variable rotary vane compressor is modular. The control operates an actuator to vary the position of a rotary valve plate located between the intake chamber and the compression chamber. The control valve locates in a cavity which has a suction pressure portion, a control pressure portion, and a discharge pressure portion. The control valve has an end cap and a valve seat member connected together by a sleeve. A valve element engages a seat in the valve seat member. The spring and a bias pin urge the valve element to the closed position. A bellows located within the sleeve has a stem that contacts the valve element to move it off of the seat. The sleeve allows the distance between the valve seat member and the end cap to be varied to preset the bellows prior to installation in the compressor.

Control valve for variable capacity vane compressor

A variable capacity vane compressor has an axial pressure device for applying variable axial pressure to a rotary valve. The rotary valve plate locates in a rotary valve housing and changes the capacity of the compressor due to its rotary position. An actuator member rotates the rotary valve plate in response to varying pressure in the discharge and intake chambers. A control valve supplies a variable control pressure to the actuating member for moving the actuating member to rotate the rotary valve plate. An annular axial pressure chamber is located between the rotary valve housing and the rotary valve plate. A control pressure port leads from the control valve to the axial pressure chamber. A seal member within the axial pressure chamber applies an axial force on a bearing located on the rotary valve plate. The control valve which supplies variable pressure used to vary the actuator member position also supplies the control pressure to the axial pressure chamber.

Variable capacity vane compressor with axial pressure device

A valve arrangement for a variable displacement refrigerant compressor comprising one or more valve assemblies adapted to regulate fluid communication between the compressor's discharge cavity and the interior of the crankcase as a function of a predetermined fluid pressure differential. The valve assemblies operate to modulate, as a function of the ambient temperature, the set point of the compressor thereby avoiding evaporator freeze up.

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Decatur, IL, United States of America

David E Bearint