Refrigerant compressor

Abstract

A refrigerant compressor forms a refrigerant circulation circuit with an external refrigerant circuit, and includes an oil separation structure. The oil separation structure includes a plurality of separation chambers for centrifugally separating oil from refrigerant gas, an oil storage chamber for storing the oil separated in the plurality of separation chambers, a connection passage and an oil passage. The plurality of separation chambers and the oil storage chamber are recessed within thickness of a circumferential wall of a housing component so as to be juxtaposed in a transverse direction passing across the housing component. The connection passage connects the plurality of separation chambers, and extends in the transverse direction along the refrigerant gas flow in a discharge path. The oil passage connects the oil storage chamber and the separation chambers, and extends in the transverse direction.

1 . A refrigerant compressor for forming a refrigerant circulation circuit with an external refrigerant circuit comprising:
 a housing having a plurality of housing components joined together;   a compression mechanism provided in the housing, which draws refrigerant gas from the external refrigerant circuit for compression and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas thereto; and   an oil separation structure provided on a discharge path of the refrigerant gas flowing from the compression mechanism toward the external refrigerant circuit for separating oil contained in the refrigerant gas, the oil separation structure comprising:
 a plurality of separation chambers for centrifugally separating the oil from the refrigerant gas; 
 an oil storage chamber for storing the oil separated in the plurality of separation chambers; 
 wherein the plurality of separation chambers and the oil storage chamber are recessed within thickness of a circumferential wall of one of the housing components so as to be juxtaposed in a transverse direction passing across the housing component; 
 a connection passage connecting the plurality of separation chambers, the connection passage extending in the transverse direction along the refrigerant gas flow in the discharge path; and 
 an oil passage connecting the oil storage chamber and the separation chambers, the oil passage extending in the transverse direction. 
   
   
   
       2 . The refrigerant compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the separation chambers includes:
 a first separation chamber provided on the downstream side of the compression mechanism in the direction of the refrigerant gas flow;   a second separation chamber provided on the downstream side of the first separation chamber in the direction of the refrigerant gas flow, the second separation chamber being juxtaposed to the first separation chamber;   wherein the first separation chamber has an introduction passage to introduce the refrigerant gas from the compression mechanism, wherein the introduction passage has an opening to the first separation chamber in a position closer to the second separation chamber than a first axis of the first separation chamber;   wherein the connection passage connects the first separation chamber and the second separation chamber so as to extend linearly from the first separation chamber toward the second separation chamber, and has two openings to each separation chamber;   wherein the opening of the connection passage to the first separation chamber is formed in a position closer to the second separation chamber than the first axis of the first separation chamber; and   wherein the opening of the connection passage to the second separation chamber is formed in a position closer to the first separation chamber than a second axis of the second separation chamber.   
   
   
       3 . The refrigerant compressor according to  claim 2  wherein the opening of the introduction passage to the first separation chamber and the opening of the connection passage to the first separation chamber are formed in different height positions. 
   
   
       4 . The refrigerant compressor according to  claim 2 , wherein a cylinder is provided within the second separation chamber for forcedly swirling the refrigerant gas. 
   
   
       5 . The refrigerant compressor according to  claim 2 , wherein a swirling flow forming member is fixedly accommodated in the second separation chamber. 
   
   
       6 . The refrigerant compressor according to  claim 2 , wherein a separating portion is provided within the first separation chamber for forcedly swirling the refrigerant gas. 
   
   
       7 . The refrigerant compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the compression mechanism is a piston type.