Scroll compressor

Abstract

This scroll compressor comprises a housing (6), a drive mechanism (10), a first scroll (30), and a second scroll (40). The first scroll (30) and the second scroll (40) form a compression chamber (12) for compressing a refrigerant. A case (25) is fixed to the first scroll (30). A discharge chamber (16), a recirculation path (250), and a discharge passage (251) are formed in the case (25). The discharge chamber (16) communicates with the compression chamber (12), and a compressed refrigerant, which is a refrigerant compressed by the compression chamber (12), is discharged. A collision wall (71) is provided in the discharge chamber (16), and the collision wall (71) rotates together with the case (25). The collision wall (71) separates lubricating oil (18) contained in the compressed refrigerant from the compressed refrigerant by colliding with the compressed refrigerant flowing toward the discharge passage (251).

Description

Scroll Compressor

[0001] The present invention relates to a scroll compressor.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional scroll compressor (hereinafter simply referred to as a compressor). This compressor includes a housing, a drive mechanism, a first scroll, a second scroll, and a driven mechanism. The drive mechanism and the first scroll are housed within the housing. The housing also has a boss formed therein that protrudes toward the first scroll. A support hole and a discharge communication port are formed inside the boss. The support hole is formed with a larger diameter than the discharge communication port and communicates with the discharge communication port. The discharge communication port communicates with the outside of the housing.

[0003] A drive shaft is formed on the first scroll. The drive shaft is cylindrical and houses a boss inside. A bearing is provided between the drive shaft and the boss, more specifically, between the inner peripheral surface of the drive shaft and the outer peripheral surface of the boss. The outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft is fixed to the drive mechanism. Thus, the first scroll is fixed to the drive mechanism within the housing and is supported by the boss via the bearing so as to be rotatable around the drive axis.

[0004] The second scroll is housed within the first scroll. This forms a compression chamber between the second scroll and the first scroll. The second scroll also has a driven shaft that protrudes toward the boss. The driven shaft is inserted into the support hole. This allows the second scroll to be rotatably supported by the boss around the driven axis while housed within the first scroll. A discharge chamber is also formed inside the driven shaft. The discharge chamber communicates with the compression chamber as well as with the discharge communication port. In other words, the compression chamber and the discharge communication port communicate with each other through the discharge chamber. The driven mechanism is disposed between the first scroll and the second scroll.

[0005] In this compressor, the first scroll is rotationally driven about the drive axis by the drive mechanism, and the driven scroll is rotationally driven about the driven axis by the first scroll and the driven mechanism. As a result, the volume of the compression chamber changes depending on the rotationally driven first scroll and the rotationally driven second scroll. In this compressor, refrigerant is drawn into the compression chamber and compressed. The refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber is then discharged as compressed refrigerant into the discharge chamber and further discharged from the discharge chamber through a discharge communication port to the outside of the housing.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-227575

[0007] In this type of compressor, it is necessary to lubricate the first scroll, the second scroll, etc. with lubricating oil to suppress wear of the first scroll, the second scroll, etc. Here, the refrigerant drawn into the compression chamber contains lubricating oil, and this lubricating oil is discharged from the compression chamber to the discharge chamber along with the compressed refrigerant. Therefore, it is thought that using such lubricating oil to lubricate the first scroll, the second scroll, etc. can be effectively lubricated.

[0008] However, in the conventional compressor, most of the lubricating oil discharged into the discharge chamber is discharged from the discharge chamber through the discharge port along with the compressed refrigerant to the outside of the housing. As a result, in this compressor, the lubricating oil discharged into the discharge chamber cannot be used sufficiently to lubricate the first scroll, the second scroll, etc. Therefore, there is a concern that the durability of such a compressor will be reduced due to insufficient lubrication of the first scroll, the second scroll, etc.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and an object to be achieved is to provide a scroll compressor having excellent durability.

[0010] The scroll compressor of the present invention comprises a housing, a drive mechanism, a first scroll, and a second scroll, the drive mechanism, the first scroll, and the second scroll being accommodated in the housing, and the first scroll and the second scroll forming a compression chamber for compressing a refrigerant, the housing being formed with a discharge communication port through which compressed refrigerant, which is refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber, is discharged to the outside, at least one of the first scroll, the second scroll, and the drive mechanism has a case rotatably fixed within the housing, the case being formed with a discharge chamber that communicates with the compression chamber and through which the compressed refrigerant is discharged from the compression chamber to the inside, and a discharge passage that communicates with the discharge chamber and the discharge communication port, and the discharge chamber is provided with a collision wall that rotates together with the case and collides with the compressed refrigerant flowing toward the discharge passage, thereby separating lubricating oil contained in the compressed refrigerant from the compressed refrigerant.

[0011] In the scroll compressor of the present invention, a case is fixed to the first scroll, the second scroll, or the drive mechanism, and the case is rotatable within the housing. A discharge chamber is formed within the case, and compressed refrigerant, which is refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber, is discharged into the discharge chamber. The compressed refrigerant discharged into the discharge chamber contains lubricating oil.

[0012] The compressor has a collision wall disposed within the discharge chamber, which rotates with the case and collides with the compressed refrigerant flowing toward the discharge passage. As a result, the compressed refrigerant collides with the collision wall, separating the lubricating oil contained in the compressed refrigerant from the compressed refrigerant. Furthermore, because the case rotates within the housing, the centrifugal force of the rotating case acts on the compressed refrigerant discharged into the discharge chamber. This also separates the lubricating oil contained in the compressed refrigerant from the compressed refrigerant.

[0013] In this way, in this compressor, the compressed refrigerant is discharged from the discharge chamber through the discharge passage and the discharge communication port to the outside of the housing, while the lubricating oil is prevented from being discharged to the outside of the housing along with the compressed refrigerant. As a result, in this compressor, the lubricating oil separated from the compressed refrigerant can be easily used to lubricate the first scroll, the second scroll, the drive mechanism, etc.

[0014] Therefore, the scroll compressor of the present invention has excellent durability.

[0015] The first scroll can be rotationally driven about a drive axis by a drive mechanism. The second scroll can be rotationally driven by the first scroll and the driven mechanism about a driven axis while being eccentric with respect to the first scroll. Furthermore, the case can be fixed to the first scroll. Preferably, the first scroll has a discharge port formed therein that communicates with the compression chamber.

[0016] In this case, since the first scroll is rotationally driven and the second scroll is rotationally driven, the compressor of the present invention becomes a double-rotating scroll compressor in which both the first scroll and the second scroll rotate. Also, since the case is fixed to the first scroll, the case can be suitably rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the first scroll.

[0017] The collision wall may have a plate shape extending radially of the first scroll and may have an opposing wall portion facing the first scroll while being spaced apart from the first scroll in the drive shaft direction, and a connecting circumferential wall portion connecting to the opposing wall portion and extending cylindrically in the drive shaft direction. The discharge chamber may be partitioned by the collision wall into a first discharge chamber and a second discharge chamber. The first discharge chamber may be located between the collision wall and the first scroll and communicate with the discharge port. The second discharge chamber may be located between the case and the collision wall and communicate with the discharge passage. Preferably, the connecting circumferential wall portion has a communication passage extending radially to communicate the first discharge chamber with the second discharge chamber.

[0018] The collision wall may have a plate shape extending radially of the first scroll and may include an opposing wall portion facing the first scroll while being spaced apart from the first scroll in the drive shaft direction, and a connecting peripheral wall portion connecting to the opposing wall portion and extending cylindrically in the drive shaft direction. The discharge chamber may be partitioned by the collision wall into a first discharge chamber and a second discharge chamber. The first discharge chamber may be located between the collision wall and the first scroll and communicate with the discharge port. The second discharge chamber may be located between the case and the collision wall and communicate with the discharge passage. It is also preferable that the opposing wall portion has a communication passage extending in the drive shaft direction to communicate the first discharge chamber with the second discharge chamber.

[0019] In these cases, the compressed refrigerant collides with the opposing wall portion in the first discharge chamber, thereby allowing the lubricating oil contained in the compressed refrigerant to be suitably separated from the compressed refrigerant.

[0020] The first scroll may be provided with a discharge valve disposed in the discharge chamber for opening and closing the discharge port. The discharge port and the discharge valve are preferably opposed to the collision wall in the drive shaft direction. In this case, the compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port can be suitably collided with the collision wall.

[0021] In the compressor of the present invention, the collision wall may have a first surface facing the discharge valve in the drive shaft direction and a second surface located opposite the first surface and abutting the case in the drive shaft direction. The discharge passage may be covered by the collision wall while facing the second surface in the drive shaft direction. Preferably, a radial flow path is formed between the second surface and the case to guide the compressed refrigerant in the discharge chamber to the discharge passage while circulating it in the radial direction of the first scroll.

[0022] In this compressor, the discharge passage is covered by the collision wall while facing the second surface of the collision wall in the drive shaft direction, so that the compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port into the discharge chamber can be prevented from flowing toward the discharge passage without colliding with the collision wall. Also, in this compressor, the compressed refrigerant that has collided with the collision wall and separated the lubricating oil can be effectively guided to the discharge passage by the radial flow path.

[0023] The radial flow passage may have an inlet portion that opens into the discharge chamber, and an upstream flow passage portion that is connected to the inlet portion and allows the refrigerant to flow from the inlet portion toward the discharge passage. Preferably, the upstream flow passage portion is inclined from the inlet portion toward the discharge passage in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first scroll.

[0024] Some of the lubricating oil present in the discharge chamber may inevitably flow toward the radial flow passage along with the compressed refrigerant. In this regard, in this compressor, the upstream flow passage portion of the radial flow passage is inclined from the inlet portion toward the discharge passage in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first scroll. As a result, in this compressor, even if some of the lubricating oil in the discharge chamber flows into the radial flow passage along with the compressed refrigerant, centrifugal force acting on the lubricating oil makes it difficult for the lubricating oil to reach the discharge passage. In this way, this compressor can effectively prevent the lubricating oil from being discharged outside the housing along with the compressed refrigerant.

[0025] In this case, the radial flow passage may have a downstream flow passage portion that communicates with the discharge passage. The downstream flow passage portion preferably curves toward the upstream flow passage portion and is connected to the upstream flow passage portion on the side opposite to the inlet portion.

[0026] This allows the compressed refrigerant to flow more easily from the upstream flow path to the downstream flow path than when the downstream flow path is linearly connected to the upstream flow path, thereby effectively reducing pressure loss in the compressed refrigerant flowing from the upstream flow path to the downstream flow path toward the discharge passage, and ultimately in the compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge communication port to the outside of the housing.

[0027] The case may have a plurality of protruding portions that protrude in the drive shaft direction toward the collision wall and abut against the second surface. The collision wall may be fixed to each of the protruding portions. The radial flow passages are preferably located between the protruding portions. In this case, the radial flow passages can be easily formed.

[0028] In the compressor of the present invention, the case may be rotatably supported by the housing via a bearing, and the discharge chamber is preferably formed to have a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the bearing.

[0029] In this case, the volume of the discharge chamber can be suitably secured, and the muffler effect of the discharge chamber can suitably reduce discharge pulsation when the compressed refrigerant is discharged into the discharge chamber, thereby reducing noise during operation of the compressor.

[0030] Furthermore, in this compressor, the bearings do not have a diameter larger than the discharge chamber, so even if the case rotates at high speed within the housing, the bearings can adequately support the case.

[0031] The discharge chamber is preferably connected to a return passage for returning the lubricating oil from the discharge chamber to a location in the housing where the pressure is lower than that of the discharge chamber. In this case, the lubricating oil separated from the compressed refrigerant can be suitably used to lubricate the first scroll, the second scroll, the drive mechanism, etc.

[0032] The scroll compressor of the present invention has excellent durability.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a scroll compressor of a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a scroll compressor of a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a scroll compressor of a third embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a scroll compressor of a fourth embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the scroll compressor of the fourth embodiment, taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a scroll compressor of a fifth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5, of a scroll compressor of a comparative example.

[0034] Hereinafter, first to fifth embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The compressors of the first to fifth embodiments are specifically double-rotating scroll compressors, and are mounted on a vehicle (not shown).

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1 , the compressor of the first embodiment includes a housing 6 , a drive mechanism 10 , a first scroll 30 , a second scroll 40 , a driven mechanism 20 , and a case 25 .

[0036] In this embodiment, the front-to-rear direction of the compressor is defined by the solid arrow shown in Fig. 1. Note that the front-to-rear direction is an example for convenience of explanation, and the compressor can change its own position as appropriate depending on the vehicle in which it is installed. The same applies to the compressor shown in Fig. 2.

[0037] 1, the housing 6 is made up of a housing body 60 and a housing cover 61. The housing body 60 and the housing cover 61 are made of an aluminum alloy.

[0038] The housing main body 60 is a bottomed, cylindrical member having an outer peripheral wall 60a and a rear wall 60b. The outer peripheral wall 60a is cylindrical and centered on the drive axis O1. The drive axis O1 is parallel to the front-to-rear direction. An intake communication port 69 is formed in the outer peripheral wall 60a. The intake communication port 69 penetrates the outer peripheral wall 60a in the radial direction of the housing main body 60. A pipe (not shown) is connected to the intake communication port 69. As a result, the intake communication port 69 is connected to the outside of the housing 60, i.e., the outside of the compressor, through the pipe.

[0039] The rear wall 60b is located at the rear end of the housing main body 60. The rear wall 60b extends in a generally circular, flat plate shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1. The outer peripheral edge of the rear wall 60b is connected to the rear end of the outer peripheral wall 60a. A first support portion 64 is formed at the center of the inner surface of the rear wall 60b. The first support portion 64 is generally cylindrical and centered on the drive axis O1, and protrudes forward from the center of the inner surface of the rear wall 60b, i.e., into the scroll chamber 65 described below. An intake port 69 may be formed in the rear wall 60b.

[0040] A pin hole 54 is formed in the first support portion 64. The pin hole 54 opens to the front end surface of the first support portion 64 and extends linearly rearward within the first support portion 64. Note that the pin hole 54 does not pass through the first support portion 64 in the front-rear direction.

[0041] The housing cover 61 is disposed in front of the housing main body 60. The housing cover 61 extends in a generally circular, flat plate shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1. The housing cover 61 is fixed to the housing main body 60 with bolts (not shown) with its outer peripheral edge abutting against the front end of the outer peripheral wall 60a of the housing main body 60. As a result, the housing cover 61 closes the housing main body 60 from the front. A scroll chamber 65 is thus formed within the housing main body 60.

[0042] A second support portion 67 is formed at the center of the inner surface of the housing cover 61. The second support portion 67 has a cylindrical shape centered on the drive axis O1 and protrudes rearward from the center of the inner surface of the housing cover 61.

[0043] Further, a radial ball bearing 14 and a shaft seal member 63 are provided within the second support portion 67. The radial ball bearing 14 is an example of the "bearing" in the present invention. The outer diameter of the radial ball bearing 14 is a first length L1, which is smaller than the outer diameter of the second support portion 67. The radial ball bearing 14 is fixed to the second support portion 67 by fitting its outer ring into the second support portion 67. Note that a sliding bearing or the like may also be used as the "bearing" in the present invention.

[0044] The shaft seal member 63 is disposed in the second support portion 67 at a position forward of the radial ball bearing 14. The shaft seal member 63 is formed in an annular shape.

[0045] A discharge communication port 68 is formed in the housing cover 61. The discharge communication port 68 is located in the center of the housing cover 61 and penetrates the housing cover 61 in the direction of the drive axis O1. The discharge communication port 68 faces a discharge passage 251 (described later) in the direction of the drive axis O1. A pipe (not shown) is connected to the discharge communication port 68. As a result, the discharge communication port 68 is connected to the outside of the compressor through the pipe.

[0046] The scroll chamber 65 communicates with a suction port 69. As a result, low-pressure refrigerant is drawn into the scroll chamber 65 from outside the compressor through a pipe connected to the suction port 69. As a result, the scroll chamber 65 also functions as a suction chamber for the refrigerant.

[0047] The drive mechanism 10 is specifically an electric motor and is housed in the scroll chamber 65. As a result, the scroll chamber 65 also serves as a motor chamber that houses the drive mechanism 10. The drive mechanism 10 is composed of a stator 17 and a rotor 11. The stator 17 has a stator core 17a and coil ends 17b. The stator core 17a is cylindrical and centered on the drive axis O1. The coil ends 17b are formed by part of the coil wound around the stator core 17a and have an annular shape that protrudes from the stator core 17a toward the drive axis O1. The stator 17 is fixed to the housing main body 60 by fitting the stator core 17a into the inner circumferential surface of the outer circumferential wall 60a.

[0048] The rotor 11 is cylindrical around the drive axis O1 and is disposed inside the stator 17. Although not shown in detail, the rotor 11 is composed of a plurality of permanent magnets corresponding to the stator 17 and a plurality of electromagnetic steel plates or the like that secure the respective permanent magnets.

[0049] The first scroll 30 is made of an aluminum alloy and is housed in the scroll chamber 65. The first scroll 30 includes a first end plate 31, a peripheral wall 32, a first spiral body 33, and a cover body 35.

[0050] The first end plate 31 extends in a generally circular plate shape, perpendicular to the drive axis O1 and the driven axis O2. The driven axis O2 extends parallel to the drive axis O1 while being eccentric with respect to the drive axis O1. In other words, the driven axis O2 is also parallel to the front-rear direction.

[0051] The first end plate 31 has a front surface 311 and a rear surface 312 located opposite the front surface 311. A discharge port 38 is formed in the first end plate 31. The discharge port 38 is disposed in a position that is approximately the center of the first end plate 31 and penetrates the first end plate 31 in the direction of the drive axis O1.

[0052] A discharge reed valve 57 and a retainer 58 are fixed to the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31 with fixing bolts 59. The discharge reed valve 57 is an example of the "discharge valve" of the present invention. This allows the discharge reed valve 57 to open and close the discharge port 38. The retainer 58 allows the opening degree of the discharge reed valve 57 to be adjusted.

[0053] The peripheral wall 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the drive axis O1 and extending parallel to the drive axis O1 and the driven axis O2. The front end of the peripheral wall 32 is integral with the outer circumferential edge of the first end plate 31, and the peripheral wall 32 extends cylindrically rearward from the first end plate 31.

[0054] The peripheral wall 32 is inserted into the rotor 11 and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the rotor 11. As a result, the peripheral wall 32 and the rotor 11 are integrated.

[0055] The first scroll 33 is disposed inside the peripheral wall 32. The first scroll 33 is integral with the first end plate 31 and extends rearward from the rear surface 312 of the first end plate 31, i.e., toward the second scroll 40, parallel to the drive axis O1 and the driven axis O2. Although not shown in detail, the first scroll 33 extends in a spiral shape from the center of the first end plate 31 toward the outer periphery, with the center being the center side of the first end plate 31. The outer periphery of the first scroll 33 is connected to the inner periphery of the peripheral wall 32.

[0056] The cover body 35 extends in a generally circular plate shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1 and the driven axis O2. The cover body 35 is formed to have generally the same diameter as the first end plate 31 and the peripheral wall 32. The cover body 35 has a front surface 351 and a rear surface 352. The front surface 351 faces the rear surface 312 of the first end plate 31. The rear surface 352 is located on the opposite side of the front surface 351 and faces the rear wall 60b of the housing main body 60.

[0057] The cover body 35 is also formed with a boss 36, an intake port 35a, and a plurality of second mounting holes 353. The boss 36 is integrally formed in the center of the cover body 35 and protrudes rearward from the rear surface 352. An insertion hole 350 is also formed in the boss 36. The insertion hole 350 penetrates through the boss 36 and the cover body 35 in the direction of the drive axis O1. As a result, the boss 36 has a cylindrical shape centered on the drive axis O1. A plain bearing 51 is provided in the insertion hole 350. Note that a ball bearing or the like may be provided in the insertion hole 350 instead of the plain bearing 51.

[0058] The suction ports 35a are disposed radially outward of the cover body 35 relative to the boss 36. The suction ports 35a penetrate the cover body 35 in the direction of the drive axis O1. The number of suction ports 35a, as well as the positions of the suction ports 35a in the cover body 35, can be designed as appropriate.

[0059] Each second mounting hole 353 is disposed radially outward of the suction port 35a of the cover body 35. Each second mounting hole 353 penetrates the cover body 35 in the direction of the drive axis O1.

[0060] Additionally, a plurality of rings 22 are attached to the cover body 35 between the boss 36 and the suction port 35a. The rings 22 are arranged at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the cover body 35 while facing forward, and surround the boss 36 and the insertion hole 350 from the outside. In this embodiment, the number of rings 22 is six. Also, two of the six rings 22 are shown in FIG. 1 . The same applies to FIG. 2 .

[0061] 1, the cover body 35 is fixed to the rear end of the peripheral wall 32 by a plurality of second fixing bolts 50b. The fixing of the cover body 35 to the peripheral wall 32 will be described later.

[0062] In this compressor, a collision cylinder 71 is fixed to the first scroll 30. More specifically, the collision cylinder 71 is fixed to the first end plate 31. The collision cylinder 71 is an example of the "collision wall" of the present invention. The collision cylinder 71 is made of an aluminum alloy. The collision cylinder 71 has an opposing wall portion 71a and a connecting peripheral wall portion 71b. The collision cylinder 71 may also be made of resin.

[0063] The opposing wall portion 71a is located at the front end of the collision cylinder 71. The opposing wall portion 71a extends in a generally circular, flat plate shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1. The opposing wall portion 71a has a first surface 711 and a second surface 712. The first surface 711 is an example of the "first surface" in the present invention. The second surface 712 is an example of the "second surface" in the present invention. The first surface 711 faces rearward. The second surface 712 is located on the opposite side of the first surface 711 in the direction of the drive axis O1 and faces forward. Here, the opposing wall portion 71a is formed with a smaller diameter than the first end plate 31. The connecting peripheral wall portion 71b is cylindrical, centered on the drive axis O1, and extends cylindrically in the direction of the drive axis O1. The connecting peripheral wall portion 71b has the same inner diameter as the opposing wall portion 71a. The connecting peripheral wall portion 71b is connected at its front end to the outer periphery of the opposing wall portion 71a. The opposing wall portion 71a and the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b form the collision cylinder 71 in the shape of a cylinder with a bottom and an open rear end.

[0064] The connecting peripheral wall portion 71b is formed with a flange 710 and multiple lubricating oil passages 73. The flange 710 is located at the rear end of the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b and protrudes outward in the radial direction of the collision cylinder 71. This makes the flange 710 the largest diameter portion of the collision cylinder 71. The flange 710 is formed with multiple first mounting holes 713. Each of the first mounting holes 713 penetrates the flange 710 in the direction of the drive axis O1.

[0065] Each lubricating oil passage 73 is disposed on the front side of the connecting circumferential wall portion 71b, i.e., at a position on the connecting circumferential wall portion 71b closer to the opposing wall portion 71a than the flange 710. The lubricating oil passages 73 are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the connecting circumferential wall portion 71b and each penetrates the connecting circumferential wall portion 71b in the radial direction. Each lubricating oil passage 73 is disposed radially outward of the collision cylinder 71 relative to the discharge port 38 and the discharge passage 251. The number of lubricating oil passages 73 can be designed as appropriate.

[0066] The collision cylinder 71 has a flange 710 of the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b in contact with the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. The collision cylinder 71 has the flange 710, and therefore the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b, fixed to the front surface 311 by first fixing bolts 50a inserted through the first mounting holes 713. In this way, the collision cylinder 71 is fixed to the first scroll 30 and disposed in front of the first end plate 31.

[0067] By fixing the collision cylinder 71 to the first end plate 31 in this manner, the opposing wall portion 71a of the collision cylinder 71 is spaced forward of the first end plate 31 by the length of the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b in the fore-and-aft direction, while facing the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31 in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0068] Furthermore, by fixing the collision cylinder 71 to the first end plate 31, the rear end of the collision cylinder 71 is closed by the first end plate 31. As a result, a first discharge chamber 16a is formed inside the collision cylinder 71, i.e., between the opposing wall portion 71a, the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b, and the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. The discharge port 38 is located within this first discharge chamber 16a and communicates with the first discharge chamber 16a. In addition to the fixing bolt 59, the discharge reed valve 57 and the retainer 58 fixed to the front surface 311 by the fixing bolt 59 are also located within the first discharge chamber 16a. Thus, within the first discharge chamber 16a, the discharge port 38, the discharge reed valve 57, the retainer 58, and the fixing bolt 59 face each other and are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the drive axis O1, and the first surface 711 of the opposing wall portion 71a.

[0069] The second scroll 40 is also made of an aluminum alloy and is housed within the scroll chamber 65, more specifically, within the first scroll 30. The second scroll 40 has a second end plate 41 and a second scroll body 43.

[0070] The second end plate 41 extends in a generally circular plate shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1 and the driven axis O2. The second end plate 41 has a front surface 411 and a rear surface 412. The front surface 411 faces the rear surface 312 of the first end plate 31 inside the first scroll 30. The rear surface 412 is located on the opposite side of the front surface 411 and faces the front surface 351 of the cover body 35.

[0071] An accommodation portion 41a is formed in the second end plate 41. The accommodation portion 41a is recessed in a cylindrical shape centered on the driven axis O2 from the rear surface 412 of the second end plate 41 toward the front. A bushing 53 is provided within the accommodation portion 41a. The bushing 53 may be provided within the accommodation portion 41a via a plain bearing, a ball bearing, or the like.

[0072] A driven pin 55 is inserted through the bushing 53. The driven pin 55 is inserted through the bushing 53 at a position eccentric to the center of the bushing 53, i.e., the driven axis O2. The driven pin 55 is made of steel and has a cylindrical shape. The driven pin 55 protrudes rearward from the bushing 53 and, therefore, from the second end plate 41.

[0073] Furthermore, a plurality of rotation prevention pins 21 are fixed to the second end plate 41 on the outer circumferential side of the receiving portion 41a, protruding rearward from the rear surface 412. More specifically, each rotation prevention pin 21 is fixed to a location on the outer circumferential side of the receiving portion 41a, facing the ring 22. As a result, the rotation prevention pins 21 are arranged at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the second end plate 41, and surround the receiving portion 41a and bushing 53 from the outside. In this embodiment, the number of rotation prevention pins 21 is six, corresponding to the number of rings 22. Also, two of the six rotation prevention pins 21 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .

[0074] 1, the second spiral body 43 is integral with the second end plate 41 and extends parallel to the drive axis O1 and the driven axis O2 from the front surface 411 of the second end plate 41 forward, i.e., toward the first end plate 31. Although not shown in detail, the second spiral body 43 extends spirally from the center of the second end plate 41 toward the outer periphery.

[0075] The driven mechanism 20 is made up of the above-mentioned rotation-preventing pins 21 and rings 22. The number of rotation-preventing pins 21 and rings 22 making up the driven mechanism 20 can be changed as appropriate, as long as there are three or more of each.

[0076] The case 25 is a bottomed cylindrical member having a case peripheral wall 25a and a case bottom wall 25b. The case 25 is made of an aluminum alloy. The case peripheral wall 25a is cylindrical and centered on the drive axis O1. The outer diameter of the case peripheral wall 25a is approximately the same as the first end plate 31. The inner diameter of the case peripheral wall 25a is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the flange 710 of the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b. More specifically, the length of the inner diameter of the case peripheral wall 25a is a second length L2. This second length L2 is longer than the first length L1, which is the length of the outer diameter of the radial ball bearing 14. Therefore, the inner diameter of the case peripheral wall 25a is larger than the outer diameter of the radial ball bearing 14. The case 25 may also be made of resin.

[0077] The case peripheral wall 25a is formed with a return flow path 250 and a plurality of third mounting holes 253. The return flow path 250 penetrates the case peripheral wall 25a in the radial direction of the case 25. Each of the third mounting holes 253 penetrates the case peripheral wall 25a in the direction of the drive axis O1. The return flow path 250 and each of the third mounting holes 253 are formed at different positions on the case peripheral wall 25a. Therefore, the return flow path 250 and each of the third mounting holes 253 are not in communication with each other.

[0078] The case bottom wall 25b is located at the front end of the case 25 and extends in a generally circular, flat plate shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1. The case bottom wall 25b has a front surface 255 and a rear surface 256. The front surface 255 faces forward. The rear surface 256 is located on the opposite side of the front surface 255 in the direction of the drive axis O1 and faces rearward. The outer peripheral edge of the case bottom wall 25b is connected to the front end of the case peripheral wall 25a. A boss 25c is also formed on the case bottom wall 25b. The boss 25c is integrally formed at the center of the case bottom wall 25b and protrudes forward from the front surface 255. The boss 25c has a diameter generally equal to the inner diameter of the radial ball bearing 14 and the inner diameter of the shaft seal member 63.

[0079] A discharge passage 251 is formed within the boss 25c. The discharge passage 251 penetrates through the boss 25c and the case bottom wall 25b in the direction of the drive axis O1. That is, the front end of the discharge passage 251 opens to the front end face of the boss 25c, and the rear end of the discharge passage 251 opens to the rear face 256 of the case bottom wall 25b. As a result, the boss 25c has a cylindrical shape centered on the drive axis O1.

[0080] In this compressor, the first volute 33 and the second volute 43 are opposed to each other in the front-to-rear direction and are meshed with each other. Furthermore, the rotation-preventing pins 21 are inserted into the rings 22, respectively, and the front surface 351 of the cover body 35 is brought into contact with the rear end of the peripheral wall 32. In this state, the second fixing bolts 50b are inserted into the second mounting holes 353, respectively, and the cover body 35 is fixed to the rear end of the peripheral wall 32 by the second fixing bolts 50b.

[0081] In this manner, the first scroll 30 and the second scroll 40 are assembled in the front-to-rear direction while the second scroll 40 is housed within the first scroll 30. As a result, the first scroll 30 and the second scroll 40 constitute a scroll compression section 100.

[0082] Furthermore, by assembling the first scroll 30 and the second scroll 40, the first scroll 30 and the second scroll 40 form a suction section 30a. That is, the first scroll 33 and the second scroll 43 are located within the suction section 30a. The suction section 30a is partitioned from the scroll chamber 65 by the first end plate 31, the peripheral wall 32, and the cover body 35, and is also partitioned from the first discharge chamber 16a and the second discharge chamber 16b (described later) by the first end plate 31. The suction section 30a also communicates with the suction port 35a.

[0083] Furthermore, in this compressor, the case 25 is fixed to the first scroll 30. Specifically, with the collision cylinder 71 housed inside, the case 25 has the rear end of the case peripheral wall 25a abutting against the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. In this state, the rear end of the case peripheral wall 25a abuts against the front surface 311 on the outer circumferential side of the flange 710 of the collision cylinder 71. In this state, the case 25 is fixed to the first end plate 31 by third fixing bolts 50c inserted into each of the third mounting holes 253. In this way, the case 25 is fixed to the first scroll 30 and is integrated with the first scroll 30.

[0084] By fixing the case 25 to the first scroll 30 in this manner, the case peripheral wall 25a and the case bottom wall 25b of the case 25, and the first end plate 31, define a discharge chamber 16 inside the case 25. The discharge chamber 16 is in communication with the return flow path 250 and the discharge passage 251. As described above, the length of the inner diameter of the case peripheral wall 25a is the second length L2, and therefore the length of the inner diameter of the discharge chamber 16 is also the second length L2. As a result, the discharge chamber 16 is formed with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the radial ball bearing 14.

[0085] Furthermore, by forming the discharge chamber 16 in this manner, the collision cylinder 71 is disposed within the discharge chamber 16. Thus, the discharge chamber 16 is divided by the collision cylinder 71 into a first discharge chamber 16a and a second discharge chamber 16b. As described above, the first discharge chamber 16a is formed between the opposing wall portion 71a and the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b of the collision cylinder 71 and the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. Meanwhile, the second discharge chamber 16b is formed by the case peripheral wall 25a and the case bottom wall 25b of the case 25 and the collision cylinder 71. As a result, the second discharge chamber 16b is located outside the first discharge chamber 16a. Furthermore, within the second discharge chamber 16b, the second surface 712 of the opposing wall portion 71a and the rear surface 256 of the case bottom wall 25b face each other while being spaced apart in the direction of the drive axis O1.

[0086] The first discharge chamber 16a and the second discharge chamber 16b are communicated with each other by the lubricating oil passages 73. Here, each lubricating oil passage 73 penetrates the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b in the radial direction of the collision cylinder 71, so the first discharge chamber 16a and the second discharge chamber 16b are communicated with each other in the radial direction of the collision cylinder 71. Furthermore, the second discharge chamber 16b is communicated with the return flow path 250 and the discharge passage 251, respectively.

[0087] Additionally, in the scroll chamber 65, the boss 25c of the case 25 is fitted into the inner ring of the radial ball bearing 14 and is inserted into the shaft seal member 63. As a result, the case 25 is supported rotatably around the drive axis O1 relative to the second support portion 67, i.e., the housing 6, via the radial ball bearing 14.

[0088] Furthermore, since the case 25 is supported by the second support portion 67, the discharge passage 251 faces the discharge communication port 68 from the rear. This allows communication between the second discharge chamber 16b, and therefore the discharge chamber 16, and the discharge communication port 68 through the discharge passage 251. The shaft seal member 63 seals the discharge passage 251 and the discharge communication port 68 from the scroll chamber 65.

[0089] In addition, in the first scroll 30, the first support portion 64 is inserted into the plain bearing 51, i.e., into the boss 36. As a result, the cover body 35 is rotatably supported by the first support portion 64 via the plain bearing 51. With the cover body 35 supported by the first support portion 64 in this manner, the suction port 35a faces the scroll chamber 65. In this way, the suction port 35a communicates between the scroll chamber 65 and the suction portion 30a.

[0090] As described above, in this compressor, the case 25 is rotatably supported by the second support portion 67. Therefore, the first scroll 30 is rotatably supported by the second support portion 67 via the case 25. As a result, the first scroll 30 is rotatably supported by the housing 6 by both the first support portion 64 and the second support portion 67 around the drive axis O1.

[0091] On the other hand, in the second scroll 40, the driven pin 55 is inserted into the pin hole 54 of the first support portion 64. As a result, the second scroll 40 is supported by the first support portion 64 by the driven pin 55 so as to be rotatable about the driven axis O2. In other words, unlike the first scroll 30, the second scroll 40 is supported by the housing 6 only by the first support portion 64 so as to be rotatable about the driven axis O2.

[0092] Here, the driven axis O2 is eccentric with respect to the drive axis O1. Therefore, the second scroll 40 is rotatably supported by the housing 6 around the driven axis O2, and is accommodated within the first scroll 30 in an eccentric state with respect to the first scroll 30.

[0093] In the compressor configured as described above, rotation of the rotor 11 of the drive mechanism 10 causes the first scroll 30 to rotate about the drive axis O1 within the scroll chamber 65. More specifically, the first scroll 30 rotates in a rotational direction R1 (see FIG. 5 ). As shown in FIG. 1 , in this compressor, the collision cylinder 71 and the case 25 are fixed to the first scroll 30, and therefore, rotation of the rotor 11 causes the collision cylinder 71 and the case 25 to rotate integrally with the first scroll 30 about the drive axis O1.

[0094] Furthermore, as the first scroll 30 rotates, in the driven mechanism 20, each rotation-preventing pin 21 slides against the inner circumferential surface of each ring 22, causing each ring 22 to rotate relatively around the center of each rotation-preventing pin 21. In this way, the driven mechanism 20 transmits the torque of the first scroll 30 to the second scroll 40.

[0095] As a result, the second scroll 40 is rotated around the driven axis O2 by the first scroll 30 and the driven mechanism 20. At this time, the driven mechanism 20 restricts the rotation of the second scroll 40. As a result, the second scroll 40 revolves around the driven axis O2 relative to the first scroll 30. Then, as the first scroll 33 and the second scroll 43 rotate within the suction section 30a, the first scroll 33 and the second scroll 43 form a compression chamber 12 therebetween.

[0096] 1, low-pressure refrigerant is drawn into the scroll chamber 65 from the outside of the compressor through the piping and the suction port 69. The refrigerant drawn into the scroll chamber 65 contains lubricating oil 18.

[0097] Refrigerant in the scroll chamber 65 is drawn into the compression chamber 12 through the suction port 35a and the suction section 30a. The compression chamber 12 compresses the refrigerant by reducing its volume while trapping the refrigerant within itself due to the rotational drive of the first scroll 30 and the rotational driven movement of the second scroll 40. The refrigerant compressed to discharge pressure thus becomes high-pressure compressed refrigerant. The discharge reed valve 57 opens the discharge port 38, and the compressed refrigerant is discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16a. Therefore, the first discharge chamber 16a has a higher-pressure atmosphere than the scroll chamber 65 and the suction section 30a. The compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16a flows from the first discharge chamber 16a to the discharge chamber 16 and further toward the discharge passage 251.

[0098] The compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16a contains lubricating oil 18. The compressed refrigerant in the first discharge chamber 16a collides with the opposing wall 71a, more specifically, with the first surface 711 of the opposing wall 71a, as it moves toward the discharge chamber 16. The opposing wall 71a separates the lubricating oil 18 from the compressed refrigerant. The lubricating oil 18 separated from the compressed refrigerant flows through the lubricating oil passages 73 and is discharged into the second discharge chamber 16b. The compressed refrigerant that collides with the opposing wall 71a also flows through the lubricating oil passages 73 and is discharged into the second discharge chamber 16b.

[0099] That is, in this compressor, the compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16a collides with the opposing wall 71a before being discharged from the first discharge chamber 16a into the second discharge chamber 16b. Strictly speaking, some of the compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16a can be discharged into the second discharge chamber 16b by flowing through each lubricating oil passage 73 before colliding with the opposing wall 71a. However, most of the compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16a collides with the opposing wall 71a before being discharged from the first discharge chamber 16a into the second discharge chamber 16b.

[0100] As described above, in this compressor, the collision cylinder 71 rotates integrally with the first scroll 30 around the drive axis O1. As a result, centrifugal force acts on the lubricating oil 18 that is separated from the discharged refrigerant when the discharged refrigerant collides with the opposing wall portion 71a. As a result, the lubricating oil 18 in the first discharge chamber 16a flows radially outward from the collision cylinder 71. Here, in this compressor, because each lubricating oil passage 73 radially penetrates the connecting circumferential wall portion 71b, the lubricating oil 18 in the first discharge chamber 16a is suitably discharged into the second discharge chamber 16b by each lubricating oil passage 73.

[0101] In this way, the lubricating oil 18 and compressed refrigerant are discharged from the first discharge chamber 16a through the lubricating oil passages 73 into the second discharge chamber 16b, so that the second discharge chamber 16b also has a higher pressure atmosphere than the scroll chamber 65 and the suction section 30a. In other words, the scroll chamber 65 and the suction section 30a have a lower pressure suction atmosphere than the first discharge chamber 16a and the second discharge chamber 16b, i.e., the discharge chamber 16.

[0102] In this compressor, the case 25 also rotates integrally with the first scroll 30 around the drive axis O1. Therefore, the centrifugal force of the rotating case 25 causes the lubricating oil 18 discharged from each lubricating oil passage 73 into the second discharge chamber 16b to adhere to the inner surface of the case circumferential wall 25a, i.e., the inner circumferential surface of the second discharge chamber 16b, and also tends to remain within the second discharge chamber 16b at locations radially outward from the case 25. The centrifugal force of the case 25 also acts on the compressed refrigerant discharged from each lubricating oil passage 73 into the second discharge chamber 16b. Therefore, in this compressor, the lubricating oil 18 can be suitably separated from the compressed refrigerant discharged from each lubricating oil passage 73 into the second discharge chamber 16b before colliding with the opposing wall 71a. Furthermore, the lubricating oil 18 that could not be sufficiently separated by collision with the opposing wall 71a can be separated from the compressed refrigerant in the second discharge chamber 16b.

[0103] The compressed refrigerant in the second discharge chamber 16b, i.e., the discharge chamber 16, is discharged to the outside of the housing 6 through the discharge passage 251 and the discharge communication port 68. In other words, in this compressor, the compressed refrigerant can be discharged to the outside of the housing 6 while being separated from the lubricating oil 18, while the lubricating oil 18 can be suitably prevented from being discharged to the outside of the housing 6.

[0104] The lubricating oil 18 in the second discharge chamber 16b flows into the scroll chamber 65 through the return path 250 due to the pressure difference between the second discharge chamber 16b and the scroll chamber 65. In this manner, in this compressor, the lubricating oil 18 flowing from the second discharge chamber 16b into the scroll chamber 65 can lubricate the drive mechanism 10, the radial ball bearing 14, the plain bearing 51, etc.

[0105] Furthermore, in this compressor, the lubricating oil 18 that has flowed into the scroll chamber 65 is returned to the suction section 30a and, ultimately, the compression chamber 12 together with the refrigerant drawn into the suction port 35a. As a result, in this compressor, the inside of the compression chamber 12 can be lubricated by the lubricating oil 18, and therefore the first end plate 31, the first scroll 33, the second end plate 41, and the second scroll 43 can also be suitably lubricated by the lubricating oil 18.

[0106] Therefore, the compressor of Example 1 has excellent durability.

[0107] In particular, in this compressor, the collision cylinder 71 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is fixed to the first end plate 31 to form the first discharge chamber 16a between the collision cylinder 71 and the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. Furthermore, within the first discharge chamber 16a, the discharge reed valve 57, the retainer 58, and the fixing bolt 59 face the opposing wall 71a in the direction of the drive shaft O1. This allows the compressed refrigerant to be discharged from the compression chamber 12 into the first discharge chamber 16a while colliding with the opposing wall 71a within the first discharge chamber 16a. Therefore, in this compressor, the compressed refrigerant discharged from the compression chamber 12 is prevented from being discharged to the outside of the housing 6 via the discharge passage 251 and the discharge communication port 68 without colliding with the opposing wall 71a.

[0108] Furthermore, in this compressor, the discharge chamber 16 is formed with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the radial ball bearing 14. Therefore, in this compressor, a sufficient volume can be ensured for the discharge chamber 16, allowing for greater design freedom for the impingement cylinder 71 and allowing the impingement cylinder 71 to be suitably positioned within the discharge chamber 16. In this compressor, the compressed refrigerant passing through the discharge port 38 is discharged into the first discharge chamber 16a, which is larger than the discharge port 38, and the compressed refrigerant is further discharged from the first discharge chamber 16a into the discharge chamber 16. This effectively provides a muffler effect for the compressed refrigerant, reducing discharge pulsation of the compressed refrigerant. This also reduces noise during operation.

[0109] Furthermore, in this compressor, the radial ball bearing 14 is not larger than the discharge chamber 16, so even if the case 25 rotates at high speed within the housing 6, the radial ball bearing 14 can suitably support the case 25 and, ultimately, the first scroll 30.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 2 , in the compressor of the second embodiment, a collision cylinder 81 is fixed to the first end plate 31. The collision cylinder 81 is also an example of the "collision wall" of the present invention. The collision cylinder 81 is also made of an aluminum alloy. The collision cylinder 81 has an opposing wall portion 81 a and a connecting peripheral wall portion 81 b. The collision cylinder 81 may also be made of resin.

[0111] The opposing wall portion 81a is located at the front end of the collision cylinder 81. The opposing wall portion 81a extends in a generally circular, flat plate shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1. The opposing wall portion 81a has a first surface 811 and a second surface 812. The first surface 811 is also an example of the "first surface" in the present invention. The second surface 812 is also an example of the "second surface" in the present invention. The first surface 811 faces rearward. The second surface 812 is located on the opposite side of the first surface 811 in the direction of the drive axis O1 and faces forward. Here, the opposing wall portion 81a is also formed with a smaller diameter than the first end plate 31.

[0112] The connecting circumferential wall portion 81b has a cylindrical shape centered on the drive axis O1 and extends in a cylindrical shape in the direction of the drive axis O1. The connecting circumferential wall portion 81b has an inner diameter equal to that of the opposing wall portion 81a. The connecting circumferential wall portion 81b is connected at its front end to the outer periphery of the opposing wall portion 81a. A flange 810 is formed at the rear end of the connecting circumferential wall portion 81b. A plurality of first mounting holes 813 are formed in the flange 810. The flange 810 and the first mounting holes 813 are similar in configuration to the flange 710 and the first mounting holes 713 in the compressor of the first embodiment. The opposing wall portion 81a and the connecting circumferential wall portion 81b form the collision cylinder 81 into a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open at the rear.

[0113] Furthermore, in the collision cylinder 81, lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b are formed in the opposing wall portion 81a. The lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b are disposed at a distance from each other in the circumferential direction of the opposing wall portion 81a and each penetrate the opposing wall portion 81a in the direction of the drive axis O1. That is, the front ends of the lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b open to the second surface 812 of the opposing wall portion 81a, and the rear ends of the lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b open to the first surface 811 of the opposing wall portion 81a. The lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b are disposed radially outward of the collision cylinder 81 relative to the discharge port 38 and the discharge passage 251. Note that only the lubricating oil passage 83a may be formed in the opposing wall portion 81a, or other lubricating oil passages may be formed in the opposing wall portion 81a in addition to the lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b.

[0114] Like the collision cylinder 71, the collision cylinder 81 is fixed to the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31 by the first fixing bolt 50a. As a result, the opposing wall portion 81a is spaced forward of the front surface 311 and faces the front surface 311 in the front-to-rear direction. A first discharge chamber 16c is formed between the opposing wall portion 81a, the connecting peripheral wall portion 81b, and the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. Within the first discharge chamber 16c, the discharge port 38, the discharge reed valve 57, the retainer 58, and the fixing bolt 59 face each other and are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the drive axis O1, and a first surface 811 of the opposing wall portion 81a. In this way, the discharge port 38 is in communication with the first discharge chamber 16c.

[0115] The collision cylinder 81 is also disposed within the discharge chamber 16 by fixing the case 25 to the first scroll 30. As a result, the discharge chamber 16 is divided by the collision cylinder 81 into a first discharge chamber 16c and a second discharge chamber 16d. As described above, the first discharge chamber 16c is formed between the opposing wall portion 81a and the connecting peripheral wall portion 81b of the collision cylinder 81 and the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. Meanwhile, the second discharge chamber 16d is formed by the case peripheral wall 25a and the case bottom wall 25b of the case 25 and the collision cylinder 81. As a result, the second discharge chamber 16d is located outside the first discharge chamber 16c. Within the second discharge chamber 16d, the second surface 812 of the opposing wall portion 81a and the rear surface 256 of the case bottom wall 25b face each other while being spaced apart from each other in the direction of the drive axis O1.

[0116] The first discharge chamber 16c and the second discharge chamber 16d are communicated with each other via lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b. The lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b penetrate the opposing wall portion 81a in the direction of the drive axis O1, so that the first discharge chamber 16c and the second discharge chamber 16d are communicated with each other in the direction of the drive axis O1. The second discharge chamber 16d is also communicated with the return passage 250 and the discharge passage 251. Other configurations of this compressor are similar to those of the compressor of the first embodiment, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of the configurations will be omitted.

[0117] In this compressor, compressed refrigerant in the compression chamber 12 is discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16c (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 2 ). The compressed refrigerant discharged into the first discharge chamber 16c flows from the first discharge chamber 16c to the second discharge chamber 16d and further toward the discharge passage 251. As the compressed refrigerant in the first discharge chamber 16c flows toward the second discharge chamber 16d, it collides with the opposing wall 81a, more specifically, with the first surface 811 of the opposing wall 81a. This allows the lubricating oil 18 contained in the compressed refrigerant to be separated from the compressed refrigerant. Because the lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b are formed in the opposing wall 81a, the lubricating oil 18 separated from the discharged refrigerant after the compressed refrigerant collides with the opposing wall 81a can easily flow through the lubricating oil passages 83a and 83b. Therefore, in this compressor, the lubricating oil 18 in the first discharge chamber 16c can be suitably discharged into the second discharge chamber 16d.

[0118] Furthermore, because the lubricating oil passages 83a, 83b are formed in the opposing wall 81a, the compressed refrigerant discharged into the second discharge chamber 16d via the lubricating oil passages 83a, 83b is more likely to collide with the case bottom wall 25b of the case 25 in the direction of the drive axis O1. This further increases the likelihood of the compressed refrigerant colliding with the case bottom wall 25b in the second discharge chamber 16d. Therefore, even in this compressor, some of the compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16c may be discharged into the second discharge chamber 16d from the lubricating oil passages 83a, 83b without colliding with the opposing wall 81a. However, even in this compressed refrigerant, the lubricating oil 18 is preferably separated from the compressed refrigerant by the collision with the case bottom wall 25b. Furthermore, the lubricating oil 18 that is not sufficiently separated by the collision with the opposing wall 81a is preferably separated from the compressed refrigerant by the collision with the case bottom wall 25b. Other functions of this compressor are similar to those of the compressor of the first embodiment.

[0119] 3, in the compressor of the third embodiment, the collision cylinder 71 is disposed in the case 25 with the front-rear direction reversed from that of the first embodiment. In the compressor of the third embodiment, the collision cylinder 71 is fixed to the case 25 by the first fixing bolt 50a while the flange 710 of the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b is abutted against the case bottom wall 25b of the case 25. As a result, the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b extends cylindrically rearward from the case bottom wall 25b in the direction of the drive axis O1.

[0120] In this compressor, the discharge chamber 16 is divided into a first discharge chamber 16e and a second discharge chamber 16f by the collision cylinder 71. The first discharge chamber 16e is formed between the collision cylinder 71, the peripheral case wall 25a of the case 25, and the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. Meanwhile, the second discharge chamber 16f is formed by the bottom wall 25b of the case 25 and the collision cylinder 71. As a result, in this compressor, the first discharge chamber 16e is located outside the second discharge chamber 16f. Furthermore, within the first discharge chamber 16e, the discharge port 38, the discharge reed valve 57, the retainer 58, and the fixing bolt 59 face each other and are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the drive axis O1, and the second surface 712 of the opposing wall portion 71a. Meanwhile, in the second discharge chamber 16f, the first surface 711 of the opposing wall portion 71a and the rear surface 256 of the case bottom wall 25b face each other while being spaced apart from each other in the direction of the drive axis O1.

[0121] The first discharge chamber 16e and the second discharge chamber 16f are communicated with each other through lubricating oil passages 73. The first discharge chamber 16e is communicated with a return passage 250. On the other hand, the second discharge chamber 16f is communicated with a discharge passage 251. The other configurations of this compressor are similar to those of the compressor of the first embodiment.

[0122] In this compressor, compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the first discharge chamber 16e collides with the opposing wall 71a, more specifically, with the second surface 712 of the opposing wall 71a. As a result, the opposing wall 71a separates the lubricating oil 18 contained in the compressed refrigerant from the compressed refrigerant. The centrifugal force of the rotating case 25 causes the separated lubricating oil 18 to adhere to the inner surface of the case peripheral wall 25a in the first discharge chamber 16e and to remain in the first discharge chamber 16e at locations radially outward from the case 25. Furthermore, the lubricating oil 18 in the first discharge chamber 16e flows into the scroll chamber 65 through the return path 250. As a result, in this compressor, the lubricating oil 18 can lubricate the drive mechanism 10, the radial ball bearing 14, the plain bearing 51, and the like.

[0123] Meanwhile, the compressed refrigerant in the first discharge chamber 16e flows through each lubricating oil passage 73 into the second discharge chamber 16f, and is then discharged to the outside of the housing 6 through the discharge passage 251 and the discharge communication port 68. In this way, this compressor can achieve the same functions as the compressor of the first embodiment.

[0124] 4, the compressor of the fourth embodiment includes a case 26 instead of the case 25. In addition, in this compressor, a collision wall 91 is fixed to the case 26.

[0125] The case 26 is a bottomed cylindrical member having a case peripheral wall 26a and a case bottom wall 26b. The case 26 is also made of an aluminum alloy. The case peripheral wall 26a is cylindrical and centered on the drive axis O1. The configuration of the case peripheral wall 26a is the same as that of the case peripheral wall 25a described above. As a result, the outer diameter of the case peripheral wall 26a is formed to be approximately the same diameter as the first end plate 31 of the first scroll 30. In addition, the length of the inner diameter of the case peripheral wall 26a is a second length L2. Thus, the inner diameter of the case peripheral wall 26a is also larger than the outer diameter of the radial ball bearing 14. The case 26 may also be made of resin.

[0126] The case peripheral wall 26a is also formed with a return flow path 260 and a plurality of third mounting holes 263. The return flow path 260 and each of the third mounting holes 263 have the same configuration as the return flow path 250 and each of the third mounting holes 253, respectively.

[0127] The case bottom wall 26b is located at the front end of the case 26. As shown in FIG. 5, the case bottom wall 26b has a main body 265 and protrusions 266 to 269. As shown in FIG. 4, the main body 265 extends in a generally circular flat plate shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1. The main body 265 has a front surface 265a and a rear surface 265b. The front surface 265a faces forward. The rear surface 265b is located on the opposite side of the front surface 265a in the direction of the drive axis O1 and faces rearward. The outer peripheral edge of the main body 265 is connected to the front end of the case peripheral wall 26a.

[0128] A boss 26c is formed on the main body 265. The boss 26c is integrally formed in the center of the main body 265 and protrudes forward from the front surface 265a. The boss 26c has the same configuration as the boss 25c described above.

[0129] A discharge passage 26d is formed within the boss 26c. The discharge passage 26d penetrates through the boss 26c and the main body 265 in the direction of the drive axis O1. The front end of the discharge passage 26d opens to the front end surface of the boss 26c, and the rear end of the discharge passage 26d opens to the rear surface 265b of the main body 265 (see FIG. 5). More specifically, the rear end of the discharge passage 26d opens to the center of the rear surface 265b. With the discharge passage 26d formed in this manner, the boss 26c, like the boss 25c described above, has a cylindrical shape centered on the drive axis O1, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0130] 4 and 5, the protrusions 266 to 269 are each integral with the main body 265 and protrude rearward from the rear surface 265b of the main body 265 toward the collision wall 91. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, the protrusions 266 to 269 are disposed radially outward of the case 26 relative to the discharge passage 26d, i.e., radially outward of the first scroll 30. The protrusions 266 to 269 are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the case 26 so as to surround the discharge passage 26d.

[0131] The protruding portions 266 to 269 have the same shape and have tip portions 266 a to 269 a, respectively. Taking the tip portion 266 a as an example, the tip portion 266 a is located at the outermost position in the radial direction of the case 26, and at the most distal position in the rotation direction R1 (see the white arrow in FIG. 5 ) of the case 26 and the first scroll 30.

[0132] 4 , the rear end of the case peripheral wall 26a of the case 26 abuts against the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31. In this state, the case 26 is fixed to the first end plate 31 by third fixing bolts 50c inserted through the third mounting holes 263. In this manner, the case 26 is fixed to the first scroll 30 and is integrated therewith.

[0133] By fixing the case 26 to the first scroll 30 in this manner, a discharge chamber 19 is formed inside the case 26 by the case peripheral wall 26a and case bottom wall 26b of the case 26 and the first end plate 31. The discharge chamber 19 communicates with the compression chamber 12 through the discharge port 38. The discharge chamber 19 also communicates with the return flow path 260 and the discharge passage 26d. Like the discharge chamber 16, the discharge chamber 19 is also formed with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the radial ball bearing 14.

[0134] The collision wall 91 is formed in a disk shape perpendicular to the drive axis O1 and the driven axis O2. The collision wall 91 has a diameter larger than the discharge passage 26d but smaller than the main body portion 265 of the case bottom wall 26b. The collision wall 91 has a first surface 911 and a second surface 912. The first surface 911 is also an example of the "first surface" in the present invention. The second surface 912 is also an example of the "second surface" in the present invention. The first surface 911 faces rearward. The second surface 912 is located on the opposite side of the first surface 911 in the direction of the drive axis O1 and faces the case bottom wall 26b.

[0135] The collision wall 91 has a second surface 912 in contact with the protrusions 266 to 269. In this state, the collision wall 91 is fixed to the protrusions 266 to 269 by a plurality of fourth fixing bolts 50d. As a result, the collision wall 91 is integrated with the case 26.

[0136] Furthermore, the collision wall 91 is fixed to the protrusions 266 to 269, and thus the collision wall 91 is disposed within the discharge chamber 19. Within the discharge chamber 19, the discharge port 38, the discharge reed valve 57, the retainer 58, and the fixing bolt 59 face each other at a distance from each other in the direction of the drive axis O1, and a first surface 911 of the collision wall 91 faces each other. Within the discharge chamber 19, the discharge passage 26d faces the center of a second surface 912 of the collision wall 91 and is covered from the rear by the collision wall 91.

[0137] Furthermore, by fixing the collision wall 91 to the protruding portions 266 to 269, first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d are formed between the second surface 912 and the rear surface 265b of the main body portion 265 and in locations between the protruding portions 266 to 269. The first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d are an example of the "radial flow path" in the present invention.

[0138] 5, the first radial flow passage 15a is located between the protruding portion 266 and the protruding portion 267 in the circumferential direction of the case 26, and the second radial flow passage 15b is located between the protruding portion 267 and the protruding portion 268 in the circumferential direction of the case 26. The third radial flow passage 15c is located between the protruding portion 268 and the protruding portion 269 in the circumferential direction of the case 26, and the fourth radial flow passage 15d is located between the protruding portion 269 and the protruding portion 266 in the circumferential direction of the case 26. Thus, the first radial flow passage 15a, the second radial flow passage 15b, the third radial flow passage 15c, and the fourth radial flow passage 15d are arranged at equal intervals in this order in the rotation direction R1 of the case 26 and the first scroll 30.

[0139] The first to fourth radial flow passages 15a to 15d all have the same shape and extend in the radial direction of the first scroll 30 from the discharge passage 26d side, that is, from the center side of the collision wall 91 toward the outer periphery side of the collision wall 91. The first to fourth radial flow passages 15a to 15d each connect the discharge passage 26d to the discharge chamber 19 in the radial direction of the first scroll 30.

[0140] Each of the first to fourth radial flow passages 15a to 15d has an inlet portion 151, an upstream passage portion 152, and a downstream passage portion 153. The inlet portion 151, the upstream passage portion 152, and the downstream passage portion 153 will be described below based on the first radial flow passage 15a.

[0141] The inlet portion 151 is located at the outermost position in the radial direction of the first scroll 30 in the first radial flow passage 15a. The inlet portion 151 opens into the discharge chamber 19. In this way, the inlet portion 151 connects the first radial flow passage 15a to the inside of the discharge chamber 19.

[0142] The upstream passage portion 152 is located more inward than the inlet portion 151 in the radial direction of the first scroll 30, and is connected to the inlet portion 151. The upstream passage portion 152 extends from the inlet portion 151 side toward the discharge passage 26d side, that is, from the inlet portion 151 side toward the downstream passage portion 153 side, while inclining in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R1 of the first scroll 30.

[0143] The downstream passage portion 153 is located more inward than the upstream passage portion 152 in the radial direction of the first scroll 30. The downstream passage portion 153 is connected to the discharge passage 26d at the innermost position in the radial direction of the first scroll 30, that is, at a position closer to the center of the collision wall 91. The downstream passage portion 153 extends from the discharge passage 26d side toward the upstream passage portion 152 in the radial direction of the first scroll 30 and is connected to the upstream passage portion 152 on the side opposite to the inlet portion 151. Here, the downstream passage portion 153 extends linearly from the discharge passage 26d side in the radial direction of the first scroll 30 and then curves toward the upstream passage portion 152 while connecting to the upstream passage portion 152. Other configurations of this compressor are similar to those of the compressor of the first embodiment.

[0144] In this compressor, the first scroll 30 and the case 26 are driven to rotate around the drive axis O1 in the rotation direction R1 shown in Figure 5 by the drive mechanism 10. In addition, in this compressor, the discharge reed valve 57 opens the discharge port 38, causing the compressed refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber 12 to be discharged from the discharge port 38 into the discharge chamber 19. As a result, the discharge chamber 19 has a higher pressure atmosphere than the scroll chamber 65 and the suction section 30a.

[0145] The compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the discharge chamber 19 flows through the discharge chamber 19 toward the discharge passage 26d. In this compressor, the collision wall 91 is fixed to the protrusions 266 to 269, so that the discharge passage 26d is covered from the rear by the collision wall 91. Therefore, most of the compressed refrigerant flowing through the discharge chamber 19 toward the discharge passage 26d collides with the first surface 911 of the collision wall 91. In this way, the collision wall 91 separates the lubricating oil 18 contained in the compressed refrigerant from the compressed refrigerant.

[0146] Then, the lubricating oil 18 separated from the compressed refrigerant flows through the discharge chamber 19 radially outward of the first scroll 30 due to centrifugal force. As a result, in this compressor as well, the lubricating oil 18 is more likely to adhere to the inner circumferential surface of the discharge chamber 19, making it more likely for the lubricating oil 18 to remain within the discharge chamber 19. The lubricating oil 18 in the discharge chamber 19 also flows into the scroll chamber 65 through the return path 260. In this way, in this compressor as well, the lubricating oil 18 flowing into the scroll chamber 65 can lubricate the drive mechanism 10, the radial ball bearing 14, the sliding bearing 51, etc.

[0147] Meanwhile, the compressed refrigerant from which the lubricating oil 18 has been separated by collision with the collision wall 91 flows from the radial outside of the first scroll 30 around to the front of the collision wall 91 and reaches the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d. The compressed refrigerant then flows through the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d and is guided to the discharge passage 26d. That is, in the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d, the compressed refrigerant flows through the inlet portion 151, the upstream passage portion 152, and the downstream passage portion 153 in this order, thereby guiding the compressed refrigerant to the discharge passage 26d. In this way, the compressed refrigerant is discharged to the outside of the housing 6 through the discharge passage 26d and the discharge communication port 68.

[0148] In this compressor, some of the lubricating oil 18 present in the discharge chamber 19 inevitably flows toward the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d together with the compressed refrigerant. However, this compressor is able to effectively prevent the lubricating oil 18 from being discharged together with the compressed refrigerant through the discharge passage 26d to the outside of the housing 6. This effect will be described below in comparison with a comparative example.

[0149] 7, in the compressor of the comparative example, the case bottom wall 26b has protrusions 97a to 97d. In the compressor of the comparative example, the collision wall 91 is fixed to the protrusions 97a to 97d, thereby forming first to fourth radial flow passages 98a to 98d between the second surface 912 of the collision wall 91 and the rear surface 265b of the main body portion 265 and at locations between the protrusions 97a to 97d. Each of the first to fourth radial flow passages 98a to 98d has an inlet portion 981, an upstream passage portion 982, and a downstream passage portion 983.

[0150] In the compressor of the comparative example, the upstream passage portion 982 extends from the inlet portion 981 side toward the discharge passage 26d side while inclining in the same direction as the rotation direction R1 of the first scroll 30. The other configurations of the compressor of the comparative example, including the configurations of the inlet portion 981 and the downstream passage portion 983, are the same as those of the compressor of the fourth embodiment.

[0151] In the compressor of the comparative example, when the compressed refrigerant and lubricating oil 18 in the discharge chamber 19 flow through the first radial flow passage 98a, the compressed refrigerant and lubricating oil 18 rotate in the rotational direction R1 and flow from the radially outer side of the first scroll 30 relative to the protrusions 97a to 97d toward the inlet portion 981 of the first radial flow passage 98a. In the compressor of the comparative example, the upstream passage portion 982 extends from the inlet portion 981 toward the discharge passage 26d while inclining in the same direction as the rotational direction R1 of the first scroll 30. As a result, the upstream passage portion 982 is shaped to invite the compressed refrigerant and lubricating oil 18 rotating in the rotational direction R1 into the inlet portion 981 and, ultimately, the first radial flow passage 98a. The same applies to the second to fourth radial flow passages 98b to 98d.

[0152] 7, in the compressor of the comparative example, the compressed refrigerant and lubricating oil 18 rotating in the rotational direction R1 can smoothly flow from the inlet portion 981 to the upstream passage portion 982. As a result, in the compressor of the comparative example, not only the compressed refrigerant but also the lubricating oil 18 can easily flow through the first to fourth radial flow paths 98a to 98d. As a result, in the compressor of the comparative example, the flow rate of the lubricating oil 18 discharged to the outside of the housing 6 via the discharge passage 26d together with the compressed refrigerant is inevitably increased.

[0153] In contrast, as shown in FIG. 5 , in the compressor of Example 4, the upstream passage portion 152 extends while inclining in the opposite direction to the upstream passage portion 982 in the compressor of the comparative example. That is, the upstream passage portion 152 extends while inclining in the opposite direction to the rotational direction R1 of the first scroll 30 from the inlet portion 151 side toward the discharge passage 26d side. Therefore, in the compressor of Example 4, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 5 , the compressed refrigerant and lubricating oil 18 rotating in the rotational direction R1 must flow around the tip portions 266a to 269a of the protrusions 266 to 269 toward the inlet portion 151 when flowing through the first to fourth radial flow passages 15a to 15d. Therefore, in the compressor of Example 4, compared to the compressor of the comparative example, the compressed refrigerant and lubricating oil 18 rotating in the rotational direction R1 are less likely to flow smoothly from the inlet portion 151 to the upstream passage portion 152. In addition, the lubricating oil 18 has a larger mass than the compressed refrigerant, and is subjected to a larger centrifugal force than the compressed refrigerant.

[0154] As a result, in the compressor of Example 4, the compressed refrigerant can flow through the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d and reach the discharge passage 26d, but the lubricating oil 18 has difficulty flowing through the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d and therefore is difficult to reach the discharge passage 26d. As a result, in the compressor of Example 4, it is possible to suitably prevent the lubricating oil 18 from being discharged to the outside of the housing 6 via the discharge passage 26d together with the compressed refrigerant.

[0155] Furthermore, in this compressor, in the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d, the downstream passage portion 153 is curved toward the upstream passage portion 152 and connected to the upstream passage portion 152. Therefore, in this compressor, when the compressed refrigerant flows through the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d toward the discharge passage 26d, the flow resistance of the compressed refrigerant between the upstream passage portion 152 and the downstream passage portion 153 can be minimized. As a result, in this compressor, it is possible to suitably suppress pressure loss of the compressed refrigerant flowing through the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d and reaching the discharge passage 26d. Other functions of this compressor are similar to those of the compressor of the first embodiment.

[0156] 6, the compressor of the fifth embodiment has the same configuration as the compressor of the first embodiment, except that it includes a case 26 instead of the case 25. As a result, in this compressor, the discharge chamber 19 is divided into a first discharge chamber 19a and a second discharge chamber 19b by the collision cylinder 71.

[0157] In this compressor, in second discharge chamber 19b, discharge passage 26d is covered from the rear by collision cylinder 71, facing the center of second surface 712 of opposing wall portion 71a. Furthermore, in this compressor, opposing wall portion 71a abuts against protrusions 266-269, thereby forming first to fourth radial flow passages 15a-15d between second surface 712 of opposing wall portion 71a and rear surface 265b of main body portion 265 and between protrusions 266-269 (FIG. 6 shows first and third radial flow passages 15a, 15c; see FIG. 5 for second and fourth radial flow passages 15b, 15d).

[0158] In this compressor, the compressed refrigerant collides with the first surface 711 of the opposing wall portion 71a in the first discharge chamber 19a, separating the lubricating oil 18 from the compressed refrigerant. The compressed refrigerant is then discharged into the second discharge chamber 16b, flows through the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d, and is then discharged to the outside of the housing 6 via the discharge passage 26d and the discharge communication port 68. In this way, this compressor can achieve the functions of both the compressor of the first embodiment and the compressor of the fourth embodiment.

[0159] Although the present invention has been described above in accordance with Examples 1 to 5, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above Examples 1 to 5, and can be appropriately modified and applied within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0160] For example, in the compressor of the first embodiment, the collision cylinder 71 fixed to the first end plate 31 is the "collision wall" of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A plate-shaped collision wall extending into the discharge chamber 16 may be provided on the case peripheral wall 25a of the case 25, so that the compressed refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 38 into the discharge chamber 16 collides against the collision wall. The same applies to the compressor of the second embodiment.

[0161] In the compressor of the first embodiment, the return flow path 250 is formed in the case peripheral wall 25a of the case 25. However, this is not limiting, and the return flow path 250 may be formed in the first end plate 31 and the peripheral wall 32. In this case, the return flow path 250 may return the lubricating oil 18 in the discharge chamber 16 to a location between the front surface 351 of the cover body 35 and the rear surface 412 of the second end plate 41, for example. The same applies to the compressor of the second embodiment.

[0162] In the compressor of Example 1, the collision cylinder 71 is fixed to the first end plate 31 by the first fixing bolt 50a. However, this is not limiting, and the case 25 and the collision cylinder 71 may be fixed to the first end plate 31 by the third fixing bolt 50c while the flange 710 of the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b is inserted between the case peripheral wall 25a of the case 25 and the first end plate 31. The same applies to the compressors of Examples 2 and 5.

[0163] In the compressor of the first embodiment, the rotor 11 may be fixed to the case peripheral wall 25a of the case 25, so that the rotation of the rotor 11 is transmitted to the first scroll 30 by the case 25. The same applies to the compressors of the second to fifth embodiments.

[0164] In the compressor of Example 1, the first scroll 30 and the rotor 11 may be connected to each other by a shaft so as to be capable of transmitting power, so that the first scroll 30 and the case 25 are spaced apart from the rotor 11 in the direction of the drive axis O1. The same applies to the compressors of Examples 2 to 5.

[0165] Furthermore, the compressor of the first embodiment may be configured such that the first scroll 30 is fixed to the housing 6 and the second scroll 40 revolves relative to the first scroll 30. The same applies to the compressors of the second to fifth embodiments.

[0166] In the compressor of the first embodiment, the collision cylinder 71 has a connecting peripheral wall portion 71b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the connecting peripheral wall portion 71b may be formed by a wall portion extending in the direction of the drive axis O1 from the case bottom wall 25b of the case 25 or the front surface 311 of the first end plate 31 toward the inside of the discharge chamber 16. The same applies to the compressors of the second and third embodiments.

[0167] Furthermore, in the compressor of Example 3, the collision cylinder 81 may be arranged in the case 25 in a state where the front-to-back direction is reversed compared to Example 2, and the collision cylinder 81 may be fixed to the case bottom wall 25b of the case 25 by the first fixing bolt 50a.

[0168] In the compressor of the fourth embodiment, the case bottom wall 26b has the protruding portions 266 to 269. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the collision wall 91 may have the protruding portions 266 to 269, and the protruding portions 266 to 269 may protrude from the second surface 912 of the collision wall 91 toward the case bottom wall 26b.

[0169] Furthermore, in the compressor of the fourth embodiment, the first to fourth radial flow passages 15a to 15d are formed between the second surface 912 of the collision wall 91 and the rear surface 265b of the main body 265. However, this is not limited thereto, and only the first radial flow passage 15a may be formed between the second surface 912 of the collision wall 91 and the rear surface 265b of the main body 265, or a radial flow passage may be formed in addition to the first to fourth radial flow passages 15a to 15d. The same applies to the compressor of the fifth embodiment.

[0170] In the compressor of the fourth embodiment, the downstream passage portion 153 may be connected to the upstream passage portion 152 in a straight line without being curved. The same applies to the compressor of the fifth embodiment.

[0171] In the compressor of the fourth embodiment, the downstream passage portion 153 may be omitted, and the first to fourth radial flow paths 15a to 15d may be formed by the inlet portion 151 and the upstream passage portion 152. The same applies to the compressor of the fifth embodiment.

[0172] In the compressor of the fourth embodiment, the upstream passage portion 152 may extend from the inlet portion 151 toward the discharge passage 26d while inclining in the same direction as the rotation direction R1 of the first scroll 30. The same applies to the compressor of the fifth embodiment.

[0173] Furthermore, a compressor may be configured by combining the compressor of the second embodiment with the compressor of the fourth embodiment, or a compressor may be configured by combining the compressor of the third embodiment with the compressor of the fourth embodiment.

[0174] The present specification also includes the following inventions: (Supplementary Note 1) A scroll-type compressor comprising a housing, a drive mechanism, a first scroll, and a second scroll, the drive mechanism, the first scroll, and the second scroll being accommodated in the housing, the first scroll and the second scroll forming a compression chamber for compressing a refrigerant, the housing being formed with a discharge communication port through which compressed refrigerant, which is refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber, is provided, a case is rotatably fixed within the housing to at least one of the first scroll, the second scroll, and the drive mechanism, the case being formed with a discharge chamber that communicates with the compression chamber and through which the compressed refrigerant is discharged from the compression chamber to the interior, and a discharge passage that communicates with the discharge chamber and the discharge communication port, the discharge chamber being provided with a collision wall that rotates together with the case and collides with the compressed refrigerant flowing toward the discharge passage to separate lubricating oil contained in the compressed refrigerant from the compressed refrigerant. (Supplementary Note 2) The scroll compressor according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the first scroll is rotationally driven about a drive axis by the drive mechanism, the second scroll is rotationally driven by the first scroll and the driven mechanism about a driven axis while being eccentric with respect to the first scroll, the case is fixed to the first scroll, and a discharge port communicating with the compression chamber is formed in the first scroll. (Supplementary Note 3) The scroll compressor according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the collision wall has a plate shape extending in a radial direction of the first scroll, and includes an opposing wall portion facing the first scroll while being spaced apart from the first scroll in the drive axis direction, and a connecting circumferential wall portion connected to the opposing wall portion and extending cylindrically in the drive axis direction, the discharge chamber is partitioned into a first discharge chamber and a second discharge chamber by the collision wall, the first discharge chamber is located between the collision wall and the first scroll and communicates with the discharge port, the second discharge chamber is located between the case and the collision wall and communicates with the discharge passage, and a communicating passage extending in the radial direction and communicating the first discharge chamber with the second discharge chamber is formed in the connecting circumferential wall portion.(Appendix 4) The scroll compressor of Appendix 2, wherein the collision wall has a plate shape extending in the radial direction of the first scroll, and includes an opposing wall portion facing the first scroll while being spaced apart from the first scroll in the drive shaft center direction, and a connecting peripheral wall portion connected to the opposing wall portion and extending cylindrically in the drive shaft center direction, the discharge chamber is partitioned into a first discharge chamber and a second discharge chamber by the collision wall, the first discharge chamber is located between the collision wall and the first scroll and communicates with the discharge port, the second discharge chamber is located between the case and the collision wall and communicates with the discharge passage, and a communication passage extending in the drive shaft center direction and communicating the first discharge chamber with the second discharge chamber is formed in the opposing wall portion. (Supplementary Note 5) The scroll compressor according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the first scroll is provided with a discharge valve arranged in the discharge chamber and capable of opening and closing the discharge port, and the discharge port and the discharge valve are opposed to the collision wall in the drive axial direction. (Supplementary Note 6) The scroll compressor according to Supplementary Note 5, wherein the collision wall has a first surface facing the discharge valve in the drive axial direction and a second surface located on the opposite side of the first surface and abutting against the case in the drive axial direction, the discharge passage is covered by the collision wall while facing the second surface in the drive axial direction, and a radial flow path is formed between the second surface and the case to guide the compressed refrigerant in the discharge chamber to the discharge passage while circulating it in the radial direction of the first scroll. (Supplementary Note 7) The scroll compressor according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the radial flow passage has an inlet portion that opens into the discharge chamber, and an upstream flow passage portion that is connected to the inlet portion and allows the compressed refrigerant to flow from the inlet portion toward the discharge passage, and the upstream flow passage portion is inclined from the inlet portion toward the discharge passage in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the first scroll. (Supplementary Note 8) The scroll compressor according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the radial flow passage has a downstream flow passage portion that communicates with the discharge passage, and the downstream flow passage portion is curved toward the upstream flow passage portion and connected to the upstream flow passage portion on the side opposite to the inlet portion.(Supplementary Note 9) The scroll compressor according to any one of Supplementary Notes 6 to 8, wherein the case has a plurality of protruding portions that protrude in the drive shaft direction toward the collision wall and abut against the second surface, the collision wall is fixed to each of the protruding portions, and the radial flow path is located between the protruding portions. (Supplementary Note 10) The scroll compressor according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9, wherein the case is rotatably supported on the housing via a bearing, and the discharge chamber is formed to have a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the bearing. (Supplementary Note 11) The scroll compressor according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 10, wherein the discharge chamber is connected to a return flow path that returns the lubricating oil in the discharge chamber to a location in the housing that has a lower pressure than the discharge chamber.

[0175] The present invention can be used in vehicle air conditioning systems and the like.

[0176] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 6 Housing 10 Drive mechanism 12 Compression chamber 14 Radial ball bearing (bearing) 15a to 15d First to fourth radial flow paths (radial flow paths) 16, 19 Discharge chamber 16a, 16c, 16e, 19a First discharge chamber 16b, 16d, 16f, 19b Second discharge chamber 18 Lubricating oil 25, 26 Case 26d Discharge passage 30 First scroll 38 Discharge port 40 Second scroll 57 Discharge reed valve (discharge valve) 71, 81 Collision cylinder (collision wall) 71a, 81a Opposing wall portion 71b, 81b Connecting peripheral wall portion 73, 83a, 83b Lubricating oil passage 91 Collision wall 151 Inlet portion 152 Upstream flow path portion 153 Downstream flow path portion 251 Discharge passage 250, 260 Reflux path 266 to 269 Projection portion 711, 811, 911 First surface 712, 812, 912 Second surface O1 Drive shaft center O2 Driven shaft center

Claims

1. A scroll-type compressor comprising a housing, a drive mechanism, a first scroll, and a second scroll, the drive mechanism, the first scroll, and the second scroll being contained within the housing, the first scroll and the second scroll forming a compression chamber for compressing a refrigerant, the housing being formed with a discharge port through which compressed refrigerant, which is refrigerant compressed in the compression chamber, is discharged to the outside, at least one of the first scroll, the second scroll, and the drive mechanism has a case fixed to it so as to be rotatable within the housing, the case being formed with a discharge chamber that communicates with the compression chamber and through which the compressed refrigerant is discharged from the compression chamber to the inside, and a discharge passage that communicates with the discharge chamber and the discharge port, the discharge chamber being provided with a collision wall that rotates together with the case and collides with the compressed refrigerant flowing toward the discharge passage, thereby separating lubricating oil contained in the compressed refrigerant from the compressed refrigerant.

2. A scroll compressor according to claim 1, wherein the first scroll is driven to rotate about the drive axis by the drive mechanism, the second scroll is driven to rotate about the driven axis by the first scroll and the driven mechanism while being eccentric with respect to the first scroll, the case is fixed to the first scroll, and a discharge port communicating with the compression chamber is formed in the first scroll.

3. A scroll compressor as set forth in claim 2, wherein the collision wall is in the form of a plate extending in the radial direction of the first scroll, and has an opposing wall portion facing the first scroll while being spaced apart from the first scroll in the direction of the drive axis, and a connecting peripheral wall portion connected to the opposing wall portion and extending cylindrically in the direction of the drive axis, the discharge chamber is partitioned by the collision wall into a first discharge chamber and a second discharge chamber, the first discharge chamber is located between the collision wall and the first scroll and communicates with the discharge port, the second discharge chamber is located between the case and the collision wall and communicates with the discharge passage, and a communicating passage is formed in the connecting peripheral wall portion extending in the radial direction to communicate the first discharge chamber with the second discharge chamber.

4. A scroll compressor as set forth in claim 2, wherein the collision wall is in the form of a plate extending in the radial direction of the first scroll, and has an opposing wall portion facing the first scroll while being spaced apart from the first scroll in the direction of the drive axis, and a connecting peripheral wall portion connected to the opposing wall portion and extending cylindrically in the direction of the drive axis, the discharge chamber is partitioned by the collision wall into a first discharge chamber and a second discharge chamber, the first discharge chamber is located between the collision wall and the first scroll and communicates with the discharge port, the second discharge chamber is located between the case and the collision wall and communicates with the discharge passage, and a communication passage is formed in the opposing wall portion that extends in the direction of the drive axis and communicates between the first discharge chamber and the second discharge chamber.

5. A scroll compressor according to claim 2, wherein the first scroll is provided with a discharge valve disposed in the discharge chamber and capable of opening and closing the discharge port, and the discharge port and the discharge valve face the collision wall in the direction of the drive shaft center.

6. A scroll compressor as claimed in claim 5, wherein the collision wall has a first surface facing the discharge valve in the drive shaft direction and a second surface located on the opposite side of the first surface and abutting against the case in the drive shaft direction, the discharge passage is covered by the collision wall while facing the second surface in the drive shaft direction, and a radial flow path is formed between the second surface and the case to guide the compressed refrigerant in the discharge chamber to the discharge passage while circulating it in the radial direction of the first scroll.

7. A scroll compressor according to claim 6, wherein the radial flow passage has an inlet portion that opens into the discharge chamber, and an upstream flow passage portion that is connected to the inlet portion and allows the compressed refrigerant to flow from the inlet portion toward the discharge passage, and the upstream flow passage portion is inclined from the inlet portion toward the discharge passage in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first scroll.

8. A scroll compressor according to claim 7, wherein the radial flow path has a downstream flow path portion that communicates with the discharge passage, and the downstream flow path portion curves toward the upstream flow path portion and connects to the upstream flow path portion on the side opposite to the inlet portion.

9. A scroll compressor according to claim 6, wherein the case has a plurality of protruding portions that protrude in the drive shaft direction toward the collision wall and abut against the second surface, the collision wall is fixed to each of the protruding portions, and the radial flow paths are located between the protruding portions.

10. A scroll compressor according to claim 1, wherein the case is rotatably supported by the housing via a bearing, and the discharge chamber is formed with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the bearing.

11. A scroll compressor according to claim 1, wherein the discharge chamber is connected to a return passage for returning the lubricating oil in the discharge chamber to a location in the housing where the pressure is lower than that of the discharge chamber.

Images