Patent ID: 6932588

Claim:
A variable capacity rotary compressor, comprising: a housing defining a cylindrical compression chamber therein, and having an inlet port and an outlet port communicating with the cylindrical compression chamber; a rotating shaft provided with an eccentric part which rotates in the compression chamber; a ring piston rotatably fitting over the eccentric part of the rotating shaft such that an outer surface of the ring piston is in contact with an inner surface of the cylindrical compression chamber; a vane disposed in the housing so as to be in contact with the outer surface of the ring piston and reciprocating in a radial direction of the cylindrical compression chamber, the vane partitioning the cylindrical compression chamber into an intake part communicating with the inlet port and a discharging part communicating with the outlet port; a re-expansion space, having a variable volume, defined at a position which is spaced apart from the inlet port by a predetermined interval so as to communicate with the cylindrical compression chamber, the re-expansion space receiving a predetermined amount of refrigerant therein; and a control unit to open or to close an inlet of the re-expansion space so as to vary a capacity of the variable capacity rotary compressor.