Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

John P Wilcox

James C Swain

David L Thomas

A scroll compressor 10 includes a housing 12, a fixed scroll 26, an orbital scroll 48, a scroll drive assembly 74 and an axial thrust and anti-rotation assembly 108. The axial thrust and anti-rotation assembly includes a pair of scroll key ways 110 and 112, a pair of housing key ways 122 and 124 and an Oldham coupler 132 with key blocks 140 and 142 positioned in the scroll key ways and a pair of key blocks 148 and 150 positioned in the housing key ways. Axial loads exerted on the orbital scroll and end plate 50 by fluid under pressure are transferred from the end plate 50 to roller bearings 118 and 120 mounted in the scroll key ways 110 and 112, to the key blocks 140 and 142, to the ring 134 to thrust roller assemblies 156 and 158 in contact with a surface 136 of the Oldham coupler ring 134 and to the housing 12.

Scroll compressor Oldham coupling having anti-friction means

An assembly for providing socket plate torque restraint for a variable displacement wobble plate refrigerant compressor includes a non-rotary cross groove joint. The joint has a cylindrical outer race, a cylindrical inner race, slightly angled helical grooves in the races, a plurality of torque receiving balls and a cage for properly maintaining and positioning the balls in the cooperating grooves for operation. The joint is connected to a fixed anti-rotational shaft. The shaft is in the form of a sleeve and forms the inner race to effect torque restraint, but at the same time allow for translational axial motion of the socket plate. Radial and thrust bearings mount said socket plate relative to the rotary hub/journal. Lubricating fluid carried by the gaseous refrigerant lubricates the grooves and is then transferred by a passage extending from the grooves in the outer race to the radial/thrust bearings. The cross groove joint provides the ideal kinematic restraint action for the socket plate; the grooves on said inner and outer races and said cage effectively maintaining the balls situated substantially in a single torque transmitting plane that defines and bisects the joint angle. The joint effectively transmits the restraining torque of the joint to the anti-rotational shaft in a manner effective to substantially eliminate torsional vibration.

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Delaware, OH, United States of America

John P Wilcox