Patent ID: 7438539

Claim:
A hermetic type scroll compressor comprising: a scroll compressor element in which an end plate of a orbiting scroll and an end plate of a fixed scroll are assembled such that a sliding surface of the end plate of the orbiting scroll and a sliding surface of the end plate of the fixed scroll slide against each other, an electric motor element which drives the scroll compressor element, a hermetic casing, an interior space of which houses the scroll compressor element and the electric motor element and holds lubricating oil collected at a bottom thereof, wherein the interior space of the hermetic casing is kept at an intermediate pressure between a suction pressure and a discharge pressure an oil separator disposed on a discharge side of the scroll compressor element, and an oil return mechanism, which intermittently returns lubricating oil from the oil separator into the hermetic casing, comprising an oil return passage that communicates with the oil separator and has an opening in the sliding surface of the end plate of the fixed scroll, and an oil pocket that is formed on a sliding surface of the end plate of the orbiting scroll and communicates alternately with the opening of the oil return passage and the interior space of the hermetic casing as the orbiting scroll revolves.