Patent ID: 6896498

Claim:
A scroll compressor comprising: a first scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from said base, and a second scroll member having a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from its base, said wraps of said first and second scroll members interfitting to define compression chambers; an electric motor driving a rotating shaft, said rotating shaft being connected to said first scroll member through a coupling to cause said first scroll member to orbit relative to said second scroll member and cause a reduction in size of said compression chambers, to thereby compress an entrapped refrigerant; a back pressure chamber defined behind a base of one of said first and second scroll members, said back pressure chamber including a tap to tap refrigerant from a compression chamber to said back pressure chamber, and said tapped refrigerant causing said first and second scroll members to be biased together; and a valve operably associated with the back pressure chamber, oil for lubricating the scroll compressor, the valve positioned to be exposed to the oil, said valve being movable from an open position to a blocking position, said valve allowing flow of refrigerant from said back pressure chamber into a suction chamber surrounding said motor when in said open position, and said valve moving to said blocking position blocking flow of refrigerant from said back pressure chamber, said valve being movable between said open and blocking positions dependent upon the temperature of oil sensed by said valve.