Compressor housing

Abstract

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.