A compressor for a vehicle air conditioning system comprises a front
casing in which is mounted a swash or wobble plate arrangement
operatively connected to a drive shaft and a plurality of pistons each
provided with a piston body at one end and a foot portion at its other. A
cylinder block is also provided defining a plurality of cylinder bores
equally distributed circumferentially around the drive shaft, in each of
which bores one of the piston bodies can be reciprocated by the swash or
wobble plate, as the drive shaft rotates. The inner wall surface of the
front casing defines a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses in
positions apposed to each piston. The piston body and the foot portion of
each piston are connected by a bridge that is bending resistant and
projects outwardly into these apposed recesses. Also, at least one side
of the bridge is provided with a laterally projecting wing that supports
the piston against the adjacent inner wall surface of the front casing to
one side of the recess. The front casing and the pistons are thus
designed for mutual interengagement and, in the piston, the requirement
to provide a bending resistant portion has been divided away from the
requirement to provide an anti-rotation locking arrangement.