Ford Motor Company Limited

Duane F Steele

Robert J Hutter

Eugene C Warman

David G Steele

A scroll compressor (10) comprising a stationary scroll member (12) including an end plate (14) and a stationary involute wrap (16) extending from the end plate (14), and a discharge port (18) defined within the end plate (14). The scroll compressor (10) has an orbiting scroll member (20) including an orbiting involute wrap (16) which is movable in cooperative relationship with the stationary involute wrap scroll (12) so that a pair of sealed pockets (26, 28) is formed therebetween, the volume of the sealed pockets (26, 28) being reduced as orbital motion progresses. A relief port (32) extends through the end plate (14), in communication with one of the sealed pockets (26, 28) and a suction chamber so that at any given point of orbital motion, there is a pressure imbalance between pockets in the pair of sealed pockets (26, 28), and a consequent diminution in noise and vibration of the scroll compressor (10).

Scroll compressor with relief port for reduction of vibration and noise

An automobile vehicle air conditioning compressor adapted to be driven by a vehicle engine crankshaft through a drive pulley torque transfer mechanism wherein an electromagnetic clutch engagement plate is carried by the pulley and wherein a companion friction disc of an electromagnetic clutch is journalled on the compressor housing, the pulley being journalled on the compressor drive hub at a location axially spaced from the electromagnetic clutch thereby permitting the diameter of the clutch to be varied as desired.

Electromagnetic clutch and pulley bearing arrangement

A bearing arrangement for an air conditioning compressor comprising a compound bearing assembly that is adapted to journal a drive pulley and electromagnetic clutch assembly wherein the bearing assembly is adapted to distribute loads on the rotor shaft for the compressor whereby the shaft loading on the rotor shaft and the radial forces acting on the drive pulley are transferred through common bearing structure to the fixed compressor housing, thereby simplifying the bearing construction and eliminating machining operation during manufacture.

Combined drive pulley and rotor shaft support for a refrigerant

A pulley driven rotor shaft and electromagnetic clutch assembly for a refrigerant gas compressor having a stationary housing enclosing compressor pumping elements includes a housing extension that forms a pulley bearing support, the hub of the pulley forming a main bearing support for the rotor shaft, the pulley being connected drivably to a clutch engagement plate and a clutch friction plate drivably connected to the rotor shaft, the housing extension enclosing the clutch engagement plate and electromagnetic clutch elements including the friction clutch plate thereby reducing clutch engagement noise.

Enclosed clutch assembly to reduce noise

A scroll-type fluid compressor including a main drive shaft and a clutch assembly. The scroll-type fluid compressor including an external shaft bearing assembly comprising a main drive shaft bearing and a clutch assembly bearing. The clutch assembly bearing includes an inner journal and the main drive shaft bearing mounts directly inside the inner journal such that the clutch assembly bearing forms a housing around the main drive shaft bearing.

External shaft bearing assembly

A compliant device for a scroll-type fluid compressor including a drive shaft having an axis of rotation. A disk shaped rotor is affixed at one end of the drive shaft and includes a drive pin extending from the side of the rotor opposite the drive shaft. The drive pin 13 disposed at a location eccentric to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft and includes at least one external spline extending therefrom. The scroll-type fluid compressor includes a bushing having an axis of revolution and an orbiting fluid displacement member which is movable in cooperating relationship with the bushing. The bushing has an aperture adapted to receive the drive pin including at least one internal spline mating with the external spline of the drive pin. Clearances defined between the external spline and the internal spline allow displacement of the disk shaped rotor in relation to the bushing upon rotation of the drive shaft. This displacement allows the line contacts occurring between the orbiting scroll and the affixed scroll of the scroll-type fluid compressor to separate, thereby allowing the scroll-type fluid compressor to start up in an unloaded condition.

Compliant device for a scroll-type compressor

A pulsation damper for a swashplate air conditioning compressor comprising a tube adapted to be inserted in the discharge port of the compressor to provide internal damping whereby the pressure pulsations are forced to travel in a reentrant flow path as the pulsations from one side of the compressor cancel or neutralize the pulsations from the other side.

Pulsation damper for air conditioning compressor

A valve assembly for a swashplate air conditioning compressor comprising a valve plate, discharge valve reeds on one side of the plate and inlet valve reed on the other side of the valve plate, a seal plate located adjacent the outlet valve reeds for sealing high pressure regions from low pressure regions, and retainers securing the valve plate, the valve reeds and the seal plate together in a subassembly, one subassembly being substantially interchangeable with a second subassembly at the opposite axial end of the compressor.

Axial piston compressor with discharge valving system in cast housing

A swashplate air conditioning compressor comprising a two-part compressor housing with a generally cylindrical region and integral end plates, a pair of cylinder blocks disposed in said cylindrical region and defining axially disposed cylinder openings, a centrally disposed swashplate and shaft assembly within the cylinder blocks, and cast refrigerant intake and discharge passages in each end plate that cooperate with valve plate assemblies between the cylinder heads and the end plates.

Swashplate compressor for air conditioning systems

A one-piece cylinder block has a central opening providing surfaces on which a crankshaft is journalled and has radially-directed cylinder bores in axially offset pairs extending outwardly from the axis of the crankshaft. A crank pin is formed on the crankshaft eccentric of its central axis and furnishes an axial surface upon which a free eccentric cluster is journalled. The eccentric cluster includes cylindrical surfaces journalled on the crank pin surface spaced axially in alignment with the axis of the cylinder bore pairs, each having its central axis positioned eccentrically of the crank pin axis. Each cylindrical surface of the eccentric cluster has a piston yoke journalled thereon providing a radially directed and diametrically opposed arms, on the outer extremities of which a piston surface is mounted for reciprocating motion within the cylinder bores. The device can be used as a compressor pump in which case the crankshaft is driven in rotation thereby causing the pistons to reciprocate in the cylinders. Alternatively, the device can be operated as an engine wherein the piston motion drives the crankshaft in rotation. The one-piece housing is sealed at the radial ends of the cylinder bores by cylinder heads and at each axial end by end cover plates. Suitable passages are formed within the housing to carry fluid to and from the cylinder valves, which control the flow of fluid into and out of the cylinders. The device can be operated with any number of cylinder bore pairs that is a multiple of two provided the free eccentric cluster elements are accordingly increased in number and arranged on the crankpin surface in alignment with each of the cylinder bore pairs.

Growing community of inventors

Onsted, MI, United States of America

Duane F Steele