Description The present finding relates to a simple effect alternative volumetric compressor.

In the most common alternative volumetric compressor type, or so-called"piston compressor", a piston with alternative travel slides inside a hermetically closed cylinder; the fluid that is taken in during the suction stroke, when the piston moves away from the cylinder head, is compressed initially (compression stage) and then expelled towards the exterior (delivery stage) during the following stroke through special"openings"that open at the appropriate moment placing the cylinder in communication with the delivery environment.

The aim of the present finding is to develop an alternative volumetric compressor which, using the normal function principle, provides results that are considerably improved in comparison to similar compressors known to the art; in particular the construction and assembly are much simpler, and for the same quantity of delivered power, the compressor of the present invention is more compact and more economical than compressors with the same power capacity.

This aim is obtained with a simple effect alternative volumetric compressor mainly through the use of a plurality of pistons in alternative

rectilinear travel inside cylinders; said cylinders being positioned in angular mode at equal distance from each other around the same circumference and lodged on a rotating body or rotor; said rotor rotates in a coaxial manner inside a fixed body or stator, said stator being adapted with openings for fluid suction and delivery.

The reciprocal contact surface between the rotor and the stator has a spherical configuration and the rotor, positioned inside the stator assumes a shape that is completely adaptable to a spherical sector having two bases and supported by two side flanges, which are supported in turn in idle mode by a fixed shaft integral with the body of the stator.

The alternative stroke of the pistons inside the cylinders is obtained by fitting in idle mode, the lower end of the connecting rod on a single pin, integral with the fixed shaft that supports the rotor, and that is in a misaligned eccentric position in relation to the axis of said shaft.

In this manner, when the rotor rotates around its axis which corresponds with the axis of the fixed shaft, which supports both the rotor and the stator, and therefore in other words representing the general machine axis, said rotor activates the rotation of the cylinders inside said rotor, and inside which the corresponding pistons would normally travel, but since said pistons are attached to the end of the connecting rod on a fixed pin, when the rotor rotates, the pistons are forced to perform an alternative rectilinear stroke only inside said cylinders, and in this manner, in a 360°

cyclic mode, they continuously vary the volume of the compression chamber formed by the upper spherical surface of the piston and the cylinder cap formed by the internal spherical surface of the stator.

The constructive details of said compressor basically work in the opposite manner to that performed by standard compressors, because in this case, the cylinders represent the organs in 360° rotation while the axial shaft remains in a fixed position, thus forming a further innovative characteristic of said finding.

The finding will be defined more clearly with the description of a possible embodiment provided simply as an example but by no means limitative, and with the appended drawings, wherein - Figure 1 (Table I) shows a front elevation and cross-section of the compressor of this invention; - Figure 2 (Table II) shows a side elevation with a cross-section along the line II-II shown in figure 1; - Figures 3-4 (Table III) show the front elevation and side elevation of the rotor unit, respectively, in a cross-section of the line IV-IV in figure 3; - Figures 5-6 (Table IV) show the front elevation and side elevation of the stator unit, respectively, in a cross-section of the line VI-VI in figure 5;

Figures 7-8 (Table V) show the front and side blow-up views of the rotor, respectively; Figures 9-10 (Table VI) show the front and side blow-up views of the stator, respectively ; Figure 11 shows a partial view of the stator unit in perspective; - Figures 12-16 (Table VII) show the rotor unit assembly stages in progressive order; As can be seen in figures 1 and 2, the compressor of the present finding, identified throughout by the numeral 1, is basically composed of a fixed block or stator 2, inside which a mobile block, or rotor 3, rotates in a coaxial manner.

The area of reciprocal contact with some play, between the two blocks 2 and 3, respectively the internal surface 4 of the stator and the external surface 5 of the rotor, presents a spherical profile.

Four equidistant radial cavities 6 are lodged in the rotor 3, to form the housings of the cylinders 7, inside which the four pistons 8 travel in alternative motion.

The suction openings 9 and the fluid delivery opening 10 are located on the stator.

AS can be seen in figures 3-4 and 7-8, the mobile block or rotor 3, having a spherical sector configuration with two bases, is composed of a body 11, fixed by screws 12 to the two side support flanges 13 which are fitted in idle mode by means of

the bearings 14 on the central fixed shaft 15, fixed to the stator unit 2 by means of the keys 16.

The rotor unit 3 rotates around the"X"axis of the fixed shaft 15, by means of pinion 17, fixed to one of the two side flanges 13, meshing with the cogged wheel 18, supported in idle mode on the stator casing and receiving the drive torque transmitted from non-specified external motor organs 19.

The cylinders 7 inserted in the body 11, are composed of a liner 20 that terminates with an upper neck 21, having a spherical surface and equipped with sealing rings 22.

To ensure constant hermetic sealing between surfaces 4 and 5 in reciprocal motion, and to prevent blow-by through the suction and delivery openings, the body 11 is equipped with slide blocks having a spherical surface 23, fixed by screws 24 to the flat bases 25 located on said body that subsequently assumes an octagonal profile.

As can be seen in detail in figure 11, all the pistons 8, set inside the cylinders 7, present their connecting rods 26 fitted in idle mode with the end fork 27 on a single fixed pin 28, integral with the central shaft 15 and positioned with its axis parallel but eccentric in relation to the said shaft axis.

The rotor unit 3 is also characterised by the fact that body 11 is composed of two half-shells 11'and 11", separate and symmetrical in relation to a plane that passes through the centre line of the body, and perpendicular in relation to its longitudinal axis.

This constructive solution facilitates both the construction of body 11, and the assembly of the complete unit considerably, as can be seen in the following figures wherein, according to the blow-up drawing of the single components (fig. 11), first the two half-shells are assembled to form the body 11, (fig. 12), followed by the insertion of the cylinders 7, (fig. 13), following which, the side flanges 13 and the pinion 17 are applied to body 11 (Fig 14), and finally, the slide blocks 23 are applied to obtain the complete rotor 3 (fig. 15).

As can be seen in the details in figures 5-6 and 9-10, the stator unit 2 is composed of a casing 30, divided in the axial centre line, to form a base 31 and a cover 32, reciprocally blocked by the side flanges 33 and the bolts 34, and the central fixed shaft 15.

A ring 35 is inserted inside the casing to form a spherical cap on the volumetric chamber, and inside which a channel 36 is drilled to connect the two suction openings 9, in order to prolong the air suction stage.