Connecting rod cooling and lubrication

Claim 1

A compressor comprising: a housing: a crankcase disposed within said housing, said crankcase including a cylinder; a crankshaft rotatably disposed within said crankcase, said crankshaft including an axial bore and an eccentric portion, said eccentric portion having a passage in fluid communication with said axial bore; a piston including a crown portion and a sidewall portion each having an inner surface; a wrist pin operably coupled to said piston and said connecting rod; circulation means for circulating lubricant through said axial bore and said passage; and a connecting rod having a crankshaft end portion disposed about said eccentric portion of said crankshaft, a piston end portion having said wrist pin received therein, an intermediate portion extending between an interconnecting said crankshaft and piston end portions, a central lubricating passage extending axially through said intermediate portion to provide fluid communication between said crankshaft and piston end portions and having an opening communicating with said crankshaft passage, and at least two branched lubricating passages branching from said central passage and extending through said piston end portion of said connecting rod closely adjacent said wrist pin and said branching occurring at a position between said wrist pin and the crankshaft end portion of said connecting rod, said central passage being in fluid communication with said wrist pin to directly lubricate said wrist pin, and said branched passages having exit openings on said piston end portion oriented to spray lubricant on a non-bearing inner surface of said piston, whereby circulation of lubricant through said branched passages and out said exit openings indirectly cools said wrist pin by drawing heat away therefrom, and directly cools said piston by spraying lubricant thereon.