Patent ID: 6887050

Claim:
A horizontal compressor assembly comprising: a housing defining an interior plenum, a lower portion of said plenum defining an oil sump; a compressor mechanism disposed within said housing; a motor disposed within said housing; a shaft having a first end and an opposite second end, said first end operably coupled to said compressor mechanism, said shaft extending through said motor and operably coupled thereto, said second end extending outwardly from said motor, said shaft defining a rotational axis having a substantially horizontal orientation; and a bearing support secured within said housing, said bearing support including a radially inner shaft support member, a radially outer support member, and plurality of support arms extending between said inner and outer support members, said outer support member having a radially outer surface, a substantial portion of said radially outer surface engaged with said housing, said radially outer surface and said housing defining a first gap therebetween proximate a lowermost portion of said outer support member and wherein said lowermost portion extends freely through an arc of at least approximately 120 degrees between lowermost adjacent ones of said plurality of support arms.