US 7,556,483 B2
Electronic compressor having a reservoir chamber and an oil return passage for connecting the reservoir chamber with a suction chamber
Hiroyuki Gennami, Kariya (Japan); Kazuya Kimura, Kariya (Japan); Ken Suitou, Kariya (Japan); Kazuhiro Kuroki, Kariya (Japan); and Akihiko Taketani, Kariya (Japan)
Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, Kariya-shi (Japan)
Filed on Jul. 26, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/494,392.
Application 11/494392 is a division of application No. 10/815204, filed on Mar. 30, 2004, granted, now 7,101,160.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-097243 (JP), filed on Mar. 31, 2003; and application No. 2003-097244 (JP), filed on Mar. 31, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2006/0263227 A1, Nov. 23, 2006
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F03C 2/00 (2006.01); F04C 18/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 418—55.6  [418/55.1; 418/55.4; 418/55.5; 418/57; 418/DIG. 1; 417/366; 417/410.1; 184/6.17] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric compressor, comprising:
an electric motor;
a compression mechanism that is driven by the electric motor to compress gas, wherein the compression mechanism includes a suction chamber and a discharge chamber;
a housing for accommodating the compression mechanism, wherein the housing defines a motor accommodating chamber that accommodates the electric motor, and wherein the pressure in the motor accommodating chamber is equal to the pressure in the suction chamber;
a first reservoir chamber located in the discharge chamber;
a second reservoir chamber located in the motor accommodating chamber;
a communicating passage for connecting the first reservoir chamber with the second reservoir chamber;
a restrictor located in the communicating passage;
an oil return passage for connecting the second reservoir chamber with the suction chamber;
a connecting passage for connecting the motor accommodating chamber with the suction chamber;
a partition member located in the housing, the partition member being located between the electric motor and the compression mechanism, the partition member having a face facing the motor; and
a cover covering a section of the face of the partition member to define the second reservoir chamber.