Compressor

A compressor for compressing refrigerant gas mixed with lubricating oil, the compressor comprising:

• a housing,
• a crank chamber located within the housing, wherein the crank chamber contains refrigerant gas mixed with lubricating oil when the compressor is operating;
• a suction chamber located within the housing;
• a discharge chamber located within the housing;
• a cylinder bore located within the housing;
• a shaft bore at a central location within the housing;
• a drive shaft located in the crank chamber, where one end of the drive shaft is rotatably supported in the shaft bore;
• a cam plate located in the crank chamber, wherein the cam plate is connected to the drive shaft to rotate in conjunction with the drive shaft;
• a piston housed in the cylinder bore to reciprocate by following the cam plate, wherein the piston draws refrigerant gas into the cylinder bore from the suction chamber, compresses the refrigerant gas, and thereafter discharges the refrigerant gas to the discharge chamber;
• a bleeding passage connecting the crank chamber to the suction chamber to allow refrigerant gas to flow from the crank chamber to the suction chamber;
• an oil separator chamber provided within and forming a part of the bleeding passage to separate atomized oil from the refrigerant gas flowing from the crank chamber through the bleeding passage to the suction chamber;
• and
• an oil recovery passage connecting the oil separator chamber to the crank chamber to return the separated lubricating oil to the crank chamber.

A compressor comprising:

• a housing;
• a crank chamber located in the housing, wherein the crank chamber contains refrigerant gas mixed with atomized lubricating oil while the compressor is operating;
• a reciprocating piston mechanism for drawing and compressing the refrigerant gas, wherein at least a portion of the mechanism is located in the crank chamber;
• a suction chamber from which the piston mechanism draws refrigerant gas;
• a discharge chamber to which the mechanism delivers refrigerant gas;
• a bleeding passage connecting the crank chamber to the suction chamber to allow refrigerant gas to flow from the crank chamber to the suction chamber;
• an oil separator chamber provided within and forming a part of the bleeding passage to separate atomized oil from the refrigerant gas flowing from the crank chamber through the bleeding passage to the suction chamber.
• a pressurizing passage connecting the discharge chamber with the crank chamber;
• and
• an oil recovery passage connecting the oil separator chamber to the crank chamber to return the separated lubricating oil to the crank chamber, wherein the oil recovery passage joins the pressurizing passage, so that a downstream portion of the pressurizing passage is shared by a downstream portion of the oil recovery passage.