Patent ID: 7344367

Claim:
A rotary compressor, comprising: a housing; a motor; a roller and a vane engaged with said roller; a rotor positioned within said housing, said rotor driven by said motor and rotatable about an axis of rotation, said rotor engaging said roller and vane to thereby define a compression chamber, said rotor having a discharge port and a valve seat disposed around said discharge port, said discharge port in fluid communication with said compression chamber; and a valve mounted on said rotor, said valve comprising: a valve head yieldably positioned against said valve seat; and a valve spring, said valve spring yieldably positioning said valve head against said valve seat, said valve spring defining a first axis, said valve head movable along said first axis, wherein said valve head is displaceable from said valve seat to allow compressed fluid within said compression chamber to exit said compression chamber through said discharge port, and wherein said axis of rotation and a radial axis perpendicular to said axis of rotation define a plane, and wherein said valve spring is oriented such that said first axis is oblique with respect to said plane such that said first axis does not intersect said axis of rotation.