Split cylinder radial-four automotive air conditioning compressor

Claim 2

A radial compressor of the type including a cast aluminum two part cylinder housing having cross bores including cylinder walls therein along axes normal to each other, said housing being substantially bi-laterally symmetrical along a common transverse plane diametrical to said cross bores, said housing constituted by two separable front and rear shell-like half sections secured together along said transverse plane; said transverse plane defining semi-cylindrical cross recesses in each said front and rear half section respectively, cooperating when registered to define said cross bores, said rear half section including an outwardly projecting rear cylindrical closed head having an inwardly opening concentric hub, a drive shaft having one end rotatably mounted in said hub, an eccentric on said drive shaft, a slider block rotatably mounted on said eccentric, a pair of yokes disposed normal to each other and in engagement with normal surfaces of said slider block, a pair of piston assemblies each including one of saId yokes integral with a double-ended piston, each said double-ended piston arranged to extend oppositely from their interjacent yoke, said double-ended pistons each including a relatively short piston skirt; said piston skirts having an annular groove therein extending a major portion of the width along the skirt; a single Teflon sealing ring disposed in each piston skirt groove substantially the full width thereof to provide a relatively wide bearing surface between the piston skirts and the cylinder walls of said cross bores, the relatively wide bearing surface of said Teflon sealing ring being sufficiently wide to accomplish a fluid tight seal while compensating for any tolerance mismatch between the mating semi-cylindrical cross recesses of said front and rear housing half-sections.

Claim 3

An improved method of assembling a radial compressor of the type including a cast aluminum two part cylinder housing having counterbored cross bores including cylinder walls therein along axes normal to each other, said housing being substantially bilaterally symmetrical along a common transverse plane diametrical to said cross bores, said housing constituted by two separable front and rear shell-like half sections secured together along said transverse plane, said transverse plane defining semicylindrical cross recesses in each said front and rear half section respectively comprising the steps of supporting said rear half section horizontally with its concentric closed head portion down, inserting the rear end bearing portion of a unitized drive shaft assembly and its assoicated journal bearings into a cupshaped hub on the inner face of said rear head, said drive shaft assembly including a pair of piston assemblies, each said piston assembly including a yoke having a pair of diametrically opposed integral pistons extending therefrom, each piston formed with relatively short skirt having an annular groove therein extending a major portion of the width along the skirt, a single Teflon sealing ring disposed in each groove to provide a relatively wide bearing surface between the skirts and their associated cross recess such that each Teflon seal portion is supported in contact with its respective rear half section cross recess, placing said front half section on said rear half section with said front concentric apertured head portion facing up whereby said drive shaft assembly front end extends through said aperture, said front half section having its four semi-cylindrical cross recesses supported in contact with the upper half of the four Teflon seals whereby the cross recesses of said upper and lower half sections are precisely aligned to form said cross bores, securing the front and rear aligned half sections by connecting bolts, placing a valve plate assembly in sealed relationship in each said counterbore radially outboard of each piston, respectively, and pressing a sleeve into surrounding relationship with said cylinder housing outboard of said plate valve assemblies to form a discharge chamber around said cylinder housing.

Claim 4

An improved method of assembling a radial compressor of the type including a cast aluminum two part cylinder housing having counterbored cross bores including cylinder walls therein along axes normal to each other, said housing being substantially bilaterally symmetrical along a common transverse plane diametrical to said cross bores, said housing constituted by two separable front and rear shell-like half sections secured together along said transverse plane, said transverse plane defining semicylindrical cross recesses in each said front and rear half section respectively comprising the steps of supporting said rear half section horizontally with its concentric closed head portion down, inserting the rear end bearing portion of a unitized drive shaft assembly and its assoicated journal bearings into a cupshaped hub on the inner face of said rear head, said drive shaft assembly including a pair of piston assemblies, each said piston assembly including a yoke having a pair of diametrically opposed integral pistons extending therefrom, each piston formed with relatively short skirt having an annular groove therein extending a major portion of the width along the skirt, a single Teflon sealing ring disposed in each groove to provide a relatively wide bearing surface between the skirts and their associated cross recess such that each Teflon seal portion is supported in contact with its respective rear half section cross recess, placing said front half section on said rear half section with said front concentric apertured head portion facing up whereby said drive shaft assembly front end extends through said aperture, said front half section having its four semi-cylindrical cross recesses supported in contact with the upper half of the four Teflon seals whereby the cross recesses of said upper and lower half sections are precisely aligned to form said cross bores, securing the front and rear aligned half sections by connecting bolts, placing a valve plate assembly in sealed relationship in each said counterbore radially outboard of each piston, respectively, and pressing a sleeve into surrounding relationship with said cylinder housing outboard of said plate valve assemblies to form a discharge chamber around said cylinder housing.

Claim 5

A radial compressor according to claim 1 wherein each Teflon sealing ring is rectangular sectioned.