Variable displacement compressor hinge mechanism

1. A hinge mechanism for a variable displacement compressor comprising:

a rotor adapted to be mounted on and rotated by a drive shaft;

a hub adapted to be mounted on the drive shaft and to rotate with the rotor;

a pair of first arms affixed to and extending from a one of the rotor and the hub, with the pair of first arms being spaced apart;

a second arm affixed to and extending from an other of the rotor and the hub, with the second arm extending between the pair of first arms;

a pair of opposed elongated slots located on a one of the second arm and the pair of first arms;

a pair of opposed semi-spherical pockets located an other of the second arm and the pair of first arms; and

a pair of shoes, each having a first semi-spherical surface pivotally and rotationally engaged in a respective one of the opposed semi-spherical pockets and an opposed second surface, having a flat circular shape, rotationally and laterally slidably engaged in a respective one of the pair of opposed elongated slots to form a hinged connection between the rotor and the hub wherein the pair of shoes facilitate a slanting of the hub and transfer rotation from the rotor to the hub.

2. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 further including a guide adapted to be disposed between the hub and the drive shaft.

3. The hinge mechanism of claim 2 wherein the guide is hollow.

4. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 wherein the pair of first arms are affixed to the rotor and the pair of opposed semi-spherical pockets are each located on a respective one of the pair of first arms.

5. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 wherein the pair of opposed elongated slots are located on the second arm.

6. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 wherein the pair of first arms are affixed to the hub and the pair of opposed semi-spherical pockets are each located on a respective one of the pair of first arms.

7. A variable displacement swash plate type compressor comprising:

a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders arranged radially therein;

a plurality of pistons, one of the pistons reciprocatively disposed in each of the cylinders of the cylinder block;

a cylinder head attached to the cylinder block;

a crankcase attached to the cylinder block and cooperating with the cylinder block to define a crank chamber;

a drive shaft rotatably supported by the crankcase and the cylinder block in the crank chamber;

a rotor mounted on and rotated by the drive shaft;

a swash plate assembly rotated by and slidably mounted on the drive shaft to thereby change an inclination angle thereof in response to changes of pressure in the crank chamber, the swash plate assembly operatively engaged with the pistons to reciprocatively drive the pistons; and

a hinge mechanism disposed between the rotor and the swash plate assembly for changing the inclination angle of the swash plate assembly, with the hinge mechanism including a pair of first arms affixed to and extending from a one of the rotor and the swash plate assembly, with the pair of first arms being spaced apart; a second arm affixed to and extending from an other of the rotor and the swash plate assembly, with the second arm extending between the pair of first arms; a pair of opposed elongated slots located on a one of the second arm and the pair of first arms; a pair of opposed semi-spherical pockets located an other of the second arm and the pair of first arms; and a pair of shoes, each having a first semi-spherical surface pivotally and rotationally engaged in a respective one of the opposed semi-spherical pockets and an opposed second surface having a pin extending therefrom rotationally and laterally slidably engaged in a respective one of the pair of opposed elongated slots.

8. The compressor of claim 7 further including a guide disposed between the swash plate assembly and the drive shaft.

9. The compressor of claim 8 wherein the guide is hollow.

10. The compressor of claim 7 wherein the pair of first arms are affixed to the rotor and the pair of opposed semi-spherical pockets are each located on a respective one of the pair of first arms.

11. The compressor of claim 7 wherein the pair of opposed elongated slots are located on the second arm.

12. The compressor of claim 7 wherein the pair of first arms are affixed to the swash plate assembly and the pair of opposed semi-spherical pockets are each located on a respective one of the pair of first arms.

13. A hinge mechanism for a variable displacement compressor comprising:

a rotor adapted to be mounted on and rotated by a drive shaft;

a hub adapted to be mounted on the drive shaft and to rotate with the rotor;

a pair of first arms affixed to and extending from a one of the rotor and the hub, with the pair of first arms being spaced apart;

a second arm affixed to and extending from an other of the rotor and the hub, with the second arm extending between the pair of first arms;

a pair of opposed elongated slots located on a one of the second arm and the pair of first arms;

a pair of opposed semi-spherical pockets located an other of the second arm and the pair of first arms; and

a pair of shoes, each having a first semi-spherical surface pivotally and rotationally engaged in a respective one of the opposed semi-spherical pockets and an opposed second surface with a pin extending therefrom rotationally and laterally slidably engaged in a respective one of the pair of opposed elongated slots to form a hinged connection between the rotor and the hub wherein the pair of shoes facilitate a slanting of the hub and transfer rotation from the rotor to the hub.

14. The hinge mechanism of claim 13 wherein the pair of first arms are affixed to the rotor and the pair of opposed semi-spherical pockets are each located on a respective one of the pair of first arms.

15. The hinge mechanism of claim 14 wherein the pair of opposed elongated slots are located on the second arm.

16. The hinge mechanism of claim 13 further including a hollow guide adapted to be disposed between the hub and the drive shaft.