Patent ID: 7413421

Claim:
A multi-cylinder reciprocating compressor comprising: a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinder bores; pistons fitted into the respective cylinder bores and each forming one end wall of a compression chamber inside a corresponding one of the cylinder bores; a driving device for reciprocating the pistons in the respective cylinder bores; and a valve mechanism for causing a suction process for sucking a working fluid into the compression chambers, a compression process for compressing the working fluid in the compression chambers and a discharge process for discharging the working fluid from the compression chambers to take place as the respective pistons reciprocate, said valve mechanism including a valve plate arranged adjacent to said cylinder block and forming other end walls of the respective compression chambers, said valve plate having a plurality of suction holes disposed for communication with the respective compression chambers, a plurality of suction valves associated with the respective compression chambers and permitting the working fluid to be sucked into the respective compression chambers through the respective suction holes, and a plurality of discharge valve devices associated with the respective compression chambers and permitting the working fluid to be discharged from the respective compression chambers, each of said discharge valve devices including a discharge hole formed through the valve plate in communication with a corresponding one of the compression chambers, an elastically deformable valve reed for closing the discharge hole during the suction process, said valve reed being lifted from the valve plate during the discharge process to open the discharge hole, a retainer disposed on the valve plate with the valve reed therebetween for regulating the lift of the valve reed, said retainer including a stopper surface extending along the valve reed for stopping the valve reed when the valve reed is lifted, said stopper surface being inclined with respect to the valve plate, as viewed in cross section of the retainer, and having a first side edge and a second side edge remoter from the valve plate than the one side edge, and assisting means for positively assisting the valve reed to be twisted in conformity with the inclination of the stopper surface when the valve reed is lifted.