Rotary compressor having gate axially movable with respect to rotor

A rotary compressor, comprising:

• a housing defining an internal cavity having an inner wall surface, wherein the housing has a housing longitudinal axis extending transverse to a housing plane that bisects the inner wall surface;
• a rotor having a peripheral surface and being positioned within the internal cavity of the housing, the rotor configured to rotate about a rotor axis of rotation eccentric to the housing longitudinal axis;
• a gate having a distal end, the gate being slidably mounted therewith the rotor and movable axially;
• and
• a means for constraining the axial movement of the gate such that the distal end of the gate is constrained to be spaced proximate from the inner wall surface of the housing as the rotor rotates about the rotor axis of rotation;
• wherein at least portions of the peripheral surface of the rotor, portions of the inner wall surface, and varying portions of the gate proximate the distal end of the gate define a compression chamber of varying volume as the rotor rotates about the rotor axis of rotation, and wherein the rotor has an inlet port in fluid communication with a suction side of the gate.

A rotary compressor, comprising:

• a housing defining an internal cavity having an inner wall surface, wherein the housing has a housing longitudinal axis extending transverse to a housing plane bisecting the inner wall surface;
• a rotor having a peripheral surface and defining a bore having a bore axis that extends therein the peripheral surface of the rotor, the rotor being positioned within the internal cavity of the housing and configured to rotate about a rotor axis of rotation eccentric to the housing longitudinal axis;
• a gate having a distal end, the gate being slidably mounted therein the bore of the rotor and constrained for movement axially along the bore axis about and between a first extended position and a second retracted position, wherein the distal end of the gate is constrained to be spaced proximate from the inner wall surface of the housing as the rotor rotates about the rotor axis of rotation;
• and
• a cam positioned therein the internal cavity of the housing about a cam axis and configured to selectively engage portions of the gate to effect the axial movement of the gate about and between the respective first and second positions,
• wherein the gate defines a hollow having at least one bearing surface that is configured for selective contact with portions of the cam, and wherein the distal end of the gate is constrained to be spaced proximate from the inner wall surface of the housing in a constrained range of between about 0.0001 inches to about 0.2000 inches.