Oil separator for compressor and compressor with oil separator

An electric compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, comprising:

• a housing defining an intake volume and a discharge volume and having a center axis, the housing further defining a compression chamber;
• a refrigerant inlet port coupled to the housing and configured to introduce the refrigerant to the intake volume;
• a drive shaft located within the housing;
• a refrigerant outlet port coupled to the housing and configured to allow compressed refrigerant to exit the electric compressor from the discharge volume;
• a compression device located within the compression chamber and being coupled to the drive shaft, the compression device configured to receive the refrigerant from the intake volume and compress the refrigerant as the drive shaft is rotated, the housing, the compression device, and the compression chamber defining a refrigerant flow path between the refrigerant inlet port and the refrigerant outlet port;
• and,
• a disk-shaped oil separator located within the discharge volume and having a center, the disk-shaped oil separator coupled to the drive shaft and configured to be rotated therewith, the disk-shaped oil separator being located on a plane and having a continuous outer edge and a plurality of trough-shaped features, each trough-shaped feature having a first end and a second end, the first end being located adjacent the center, each trough-shaped feature extending outward from the first end towards the second end, the second end of each trough-shaped feature located on the continuous outer edge of the disk-shaped oil separator, and forming an opening therein, the second end of each trough-shaped feature extending away from the plane at the continuous outer edge of the disk-shaped oil separator.

An electric compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, comprising:

• a housing defining an intake volume and a discharge volume and having a center axis, the housing further defining a compression chamber, the housing including a cylinder housing, the compression chamber being formed by the cylinder housing and having an open end adjacent a first side of the cylinder housing, wherein compressed refrigerant exits the compression chamber into the discharge chamber via an orifice;
• a refrigerant inlet port coupled to the housing and configured to introduce the refrigerant to the intake volume;
• a refrigerant outlet port coupled to the housing and configured to allow compressed refrigerant to exit the electric compressor from the discharge volume through the orifice;
• a motor mounted inside the housing;
• a drive shaft coupled to the motor and configured to rotate about the center axis;
• and,
• a compression device located within the compression chamber and being coupled to the drive shaft, the compression device configured to receive the refrigerant from the intake volume and to compress the refrigerant as the drive shaft is rotated by the motor, the housing, the compression device, and the compression chamber defining a refrigerant flow path between the refrigerant inlet port and the refrigerant outlet port;
• and,
• a disk-shaped oil separator located within the discharge volume and having a center, the disk-shaped oil separator coupled to the drive shaft and configured to be rotated therewith, the disk-shaped oil separator being located on a plane and having a continuous outer edge and a plurality of trough-shaped features, each trough-shaped feature having a first end and a second end, the first end being located adjacent the center, each trough-shaped feature extending outward from the first end towards the second end, the second end of each trough-shaped feature located on the continuous outer edge of the disk-shaped oil separator, and forming an opening therein, the second end of each trough-shaped feature extending away from the plane at the continuous outer edge of the disk-shaped oil separator.