Patent ID: 7204098

Claim:
A structure for separating oil from a refrigerant gas containing the oil, the refrigerant gas being discharged from a refrigerant compressor which forms a part of refrigerating cycle to an external refrigerant circuit, the oil separation structure comprising: a separation chamber in which the oil is separated from the discharge refrigerant gas having a cylindrical inner surface, and a plurality of introduction passages through which the discharge refrigerant gas is introduced into the separation chamber, the oil being separated by centrifugal action from the discharge refrigerant gas by turning the discharge refrigerant gas introduced into the separation chamber along the cylindrical inner surface, wherein the compressor includes a rear housing that serves as a cylinder head having a first joint surface and a valve plate assembly having a second joint surface, the rear housing and the valve plate assembly defining a discharge chamber and the separation chamber when the first joint surface and the second joint surface are joined together, each introduction passage interconnecting the discharge chamber with the separation chamber and being formed at the joint between the rear housing and the valve plate assembly, at least one of the first joint surface and the second joint surface having a groove formed therein, each introduction passage being so formed that the groove is closed when the first joint surface and the second joint surface are joined together.