OILESS ROTARY SCROLL AIR COMPRESSOR AXIAL LOADING SUPPORT FOR ORBITING MEMBER

An axial load resistant anti-rotation bearing for a rotary scroll compressor is disclosed. The rotary scroll compressor includes stationary and orbiting scroll elements and a drive mechanism for driving the orbiting scroll element in an orbit about the stationary scroll element. The stationary and orbiting scroll elements are intermeshed and nested to form at least one spiraling compression pocket therebetween. The at least one compression pocket generates forces which tend to force the stationary and orbiting scroll elements apart in a direction parallel to their central axes. The axial load resistant anti-rotation bearing disclosed resists such axial separating forces and employs two rotational bearing components, a first rotational bearing component mounted on the interior of the compressor housing and a second rotational bearing component mounted on the orbiting scroll element. At least one, and preferably both, of the rotational bearing components are designed such they include a bearing surface which projects a nonzero component in the direction of the central axes of the stationary and orbiting scroll elements. At least one, and preferably both, of the rotational bearing components are of the angular contact bearing type.