Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Hugh James Muirhead

Richard L Marker

Carl A Scherer

A compressor housing is sealed around the bolt head without the use of an intervening sealing washer. Instead, the bolt hole is machined through the compressor housing in such a way as to assure that the sharp circular edge of the bolt hole always has a degree of radial overlap with the rounded corner that makes the transition from the body of the bolt to the flat undersurface of the bolt. Then, when the bolt is tightened, it is assured that the sharp corner of the bolt hole will be hit and be rounded over by the rounded corner of the bolt head into a closely matching configuration. This assures good, close contact and a tight gas seal. It also allows for over tightening the bolt head, because the ideal sealing pressure will still be attained at some point moving radially inwardly along the interface between bolt head round corner and the deformed bolt hole edge.

Washerless bolt head seal for compressor housing

An electromagnetic clutch for an automotive air conditioning compressor supports the armature co axial to, and facing, a pulley friction disk with a novel support structure that self cools the armature, as well as providing a torque cushion. A multi lobed drive plate is welded to a compressor shaft mounted hub, while a similarly shaped armature support disk turns freely on the outer surface of the hub, supporting armature rings on spring fingers co axial and parallel to a belt driven pulley friction disk. The lobes of the drive plate and support disk are aligned in three pairs, with a significant axial gap between, and extend radially over the entire outer face of the armature rings, while leaving most of the outer face exposed to the ambient air. A layer of resilient elastomer is bonded between the aligned lobes of the drive plate and support disk, holding them together, limiting the degree to which the support disk can twist on the hub, and cushioning the shock of initial engagement. The elastomer layer is thick enough that the leading edges thereof disturb ambient air as the rotate, drawing air in and over the armature rings in fan like fashion to cool them.

Electromagentic compressor clutch with combined torque cushion and

An air conditioning compressor clutch transfers torque from a spring mounted armature to a pulley not directly, but indirectly, through a free floating, thin, intermediate drive plate keyed to the shaft hub between the two. The armature is fixed to a circular spring member which, in turn, is fixed to pulley. Consequently, the armature and spring turn with the pulley, obtaining concentricity and stability from the pulley bearings. When the coil is energized, the already spinning armature is pulled in, clamping the drive plate between it and the pulley. The drive plate is light enough that it accelerates quickly, and slips very little before complete engagement is made. The lightness of the drive plate also means that it is much less subject to whirl or eccentricity as it spins.

Electromagnetic clutch with improved engagement

A swash plate type compressor is provided having multiple cylinder bores in opposed cylinder blocks with heads, and a piston slidably mounted in each pair of opposed cylinder bores for compressing refrigerant gas. A drive or swash plate provides reciprocal movement of the piston in response to a rotary drive shaft. Thrust bearing assemblies each including a pair of Belleville spring washers are provided on opposite sides of the drive plate. A plurality of rollers held by a cage are positioned in between the washers. When compressed during assembly of the compressor by tightening the through bolts, the washers are flattened so as to extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the shaft and provide an axial preload force to compensate for tolerance clearance and wear, and to absorb axial shock loading. A resilient O-ring is mounted on the shaft between one of the washers and the adjacent drive plate to dampen vibration.

Swash plate compressor with spring thrust bearing assembly

An improved thermally responsive freeze actuator for operation of an air conditioning throttle valve between the evaporator and compressor to maintain the pressure and temperature of evaporator refrigerant above a freezing level. The improved actuator includes a rigid-walled tubular portion containing water and an attached axially extendable bellows portion. The water in the tubular portion is separated from the bellows portion by a deep cup shaped member or diaphragm of elastomeric material. The deep pocket of the diaphragm encloses one end of a push rod. As the water surrounding the pocket portion of the diaphragm changes to ice the rod is moved axially from the tubular portion. The other end of the rod engages the bellows which may be stationary mounted to a frame member to cause the entire actuator to move with respect to a valve seat.

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Lockport, NY, United States of America

Hugh James Muirhead