Patent ID: 7172393

Claim:
A multi-cylinder compressor, comprising: a valve plate comprising a plurality of cylinder suction ports formed therethrough; a plurality of cylinder bores centered on an arc having a radius (R), wherein the cylinder bores are substantially equally spaced from each other, and have a diameter (D); and a suction chamber having a substantially annular shape and adapted to be in fluid communication with each of the cylinder bores via the suction ports, wherein a center of a first suction port is radially offset in a predetermined direction from a center of a predetermined suction port by a first angle, wherein the predetermined suction port has a diameter (d), and the first angle equals {[(360Â°/N)Â·([Nâˆ’1]âˆ’n)]+XÂ°}, in which N is a number of the suction ports formed through the valve plate, n is a number of the suction ports positioned between the first suction port and the predetermined suction port in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, and XÂ° is a predetermined angle which is less than or equal to {(sin âˆ’1 [(Dâˆ’d)/(2Â·R)]) Â·57.3Â°/Radian} and greater than or equal to âˆ’{(sin âˆ’1 [(Dâˆ’d)/(2Â·R)])Â·57.3Â°/Radian}, and which is not equal to 0Â°.