Patent ID: 7255543

Claim:
A scroll compressor comprising: a housing defining a drive chamber and a discharge chamber therein; a revolving unit arranged in the drive chamber; a scroll unit arranged in the housing and including a fixed scroll having an end face facing the drive chamber and a movable scroll driven by the revolving unit to make revolving motion relative to the fixed scroll, the fixed scroll and the movable scroll cooperating with each other to compress a working fluid containing lubricating oil and to discharge the compressed working fluid into the discharge chamber; and an oil separator for separating part of the lubricating oil from the working fluid discharged into the discharge chamber, the oil separator including an oil chamber for storing the lubricating oil separated from the working fluid, and a return device for returning the lubricating oil in the oil chamber to the drive chamber, the return device having a communication passage provided in the fixed scroll for guiding the lubricating oil from the oil chamber, the communication passage having an oil outlet opening in the end face of the fixed scroll and located in a position which is periodically covered with the movable scroll when the movable scroll revolves, and prolonging means for prolonging a time period over which the oil outlet is opened.