Double-acting swashplate compressor

Claim 1

A fluid compressor for an automobile air conditioning system comprising: a cylindrical compressor casing with first and second end members enclosing an interior space; a cylinder block assembly being supported by and fastened to said first end member within said interior space; said cylinder block assembly including a cylinder block with cylinder bores extending therethrough normal to said first end member and arranged symmetrically about its axis, a valve plate on both ends of said cylinder block covering said cylinder bores, a cylinder head on both ends of said cylinder block covering said valve plates; a cover on the end of said cylinder block opposite said first end member; pistons in said cylinder bores forming compression chambers on either side of said pistons; piston rods attached to said pistons and extending through one of said cylinder heads and said end cover into said interior space; a drive shaft supported by said second end member and by said cover for rotation within said interior space; a swashplate affixed to said drive shaft between said cover and said second end member having parallel face surfaces which are inclined with respect to the axis of said drive shaft; U-shaped saddle portions of said piston rods which straddle the peripheral edge of said swashplate and contact said face surfaces for transforming rotational movement of said swashplate into linear reciprocation of said piston rods and said pistons; an inlet opening through said first end member for passing low pressure fluid into said interior space; an annular intake passage formed in said first end member; inlet means through said cylinder heads and said cover for passing fluid from said interior space and said intake passage into said compression chambers; inlet valves formed in said valve plates for controlling fluid flow into said compression chambers; a discharge passage in a central portion of said first end member separated from said surrounding intake passage by an annular wall; another discharge passage in a central portion of said cover interconnected to said first discharge passage by a crossover passage through said cylinder block and cylinder heads; outlet means through said cylinder heads for passing fluid from said compression chambers into said discharge passages; outlet valves formed in said valve plates for controlling fluid flow from said compression chambers; an outlet opening through said first end member fluidly connected with said discharge passages for passing fluid from said compressor.