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;
• and
• a gate having a distal end, the gate being slidably mounted therewith the rotor and movable axially about and between a first position, in which the distal end of the gate is positioned at a first distance from the peripheral surface of the rotor, and a second position, in which the distal end of the gate is positioned at a second distance from the peripheral surface of the rotor, 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;
• 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 gate has at least one inlet port in fluid communication with the compression chamber.