Patent ID: 6893235

Claim:
A scroll compressor comprising: a casing housing a compression mechanism including a fixed and orbiting scrolls having respective involute wraps which matingly engage with each other and respective press-contact surfaces which press-contact each other in an axial direction; a drive mechanism coupled, through a drive shaft to said orbiting scroll; and a press-contact surface lubrication path which is formed in said orbiting scroll so as to communicate with said press-contact surfaces from a main lubrication path formed in said drive shaft, said press-contact surface lubrication path comprising a first pathway which communicates with said press-contact surfaces from inside of said orbiting scroll, a second pathway which communicates with said press-contact surfaces through a low-level pressure space of said casing, and a lubrication control mechanism which opens said first pathway and closes said second pathway when a difference between a high-level pressure and a low-level pressure within said casing exceeds a predetermined value, and which closes said first pathway and opens said second pathway when said high-low pressure difference is equal to or less than said predetermined value.