Vane-type fluid pump

Claim 2

In a variable volume pump including a rotor formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor, said chamber having inlet and outlet means which define suction, discharge and sealing zones in said casing; the improvement wherein said curved surface defining said chamber in the region of said sealing zones is formed in such a manner as to present to the rotor and vanes a constant or decreasing radius in the direction of rotation of said rotor in all positions of said casing relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor.

Claim 3

The improvement of pump of claim 1 further characterized by and including means for radially balancing said vanes in corresponding slots so that centrifugal force is substantially the only force urging the vanes outwardly through the operational cycle of said pump.

Claim 4

In a variable volume pump including a rotor formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor, said casing formed with inlet and outlet means which define suction, discharge and sealing zones in said chamber; the improvement wherein said curved surface defining said chamber in the region of said sealing zone is formed in such a manner as to present to the rotor and vanes a decreasing radius in the direction of rotation of said rotor in all positions of said casing relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor.

Claim 5

In a variable volume pump including a rotor formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor, said casing formed with inlet and outlet means which define suction, discharge and sealing zones in said chamber; the improvement wherein said curved surface defining said chamber in the region of said sealing zone is formed in such a manner as to present to the rotor and vanes a decreasing radius in the direction of rotation of said rotor in all positions of said casing relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor.

Claim 6

A variable volume-reversible flow pump comprising a housing with removable side walls, a shaft in said housing rotatably supporting a rotor formed With a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor, said casing formed with inlet and outlet means which define suction, discharge and sealing zones in said chamber, said casing being slidably mounted between said side walls for movement relative thereto and free to assume a position in axial alignment with said rotor, said casing being positionable for selection of the degree and direction of eccentricity between said rotor and said chamber of said casing, said eccentricity determining the volumetric displacement of said pump and the direction of the fluid flow, said curved surface being formed with a decreasing radius in the region of said sealing zones in relation to the normal direction of rotation of said rotor.

Claim 7

A variable volume-reversible flow pump comprising a housing with removable side walls, a shaft in said housing rotatably supporting a rotor formed With a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor, said casing formed with inlet and outlet means which define suction, discharge and sealing zones in said chamber, said casing being slidably mounted between said side walls for movement relative thereto and free to assume a position in axial alignment with said rotor, said casing being positionable for selection of the degree and direction of eccentricity between said rotor and said chamber of said casing, said eccentricity determining the volumetric displacement of said pump and the direction of the fluid flow, said curved surface being formed with a decreasing radius in the region of said sealing zones in relation to the normal direction of rotation of said rotor.

Claim 8

In a variable volume pump including a rotor formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor, said casing formed with inlet and outlet ports defining suction, discharge and sealing zones in cooperation with said chamber surface and said rotor; the improvement wherein said curved surface defining the inner chamber of said casing in the region of said sealing zones is formed in such a manner as to present to the rotor and vanes a constant or decreasing radius in the direction of rotation of said rotor in all positions of said casing relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor.

Claim 9

In a variable volume pump including a rotor formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor, said casing formed with inlet and outlet ports defining suction, discharge and sealing zones in cooperation with said chamber surface and said rotor; the improvement wherein said curved surface defining the inner chamber of said casing in the region of said sealing zones is formed in such a manner as to present to the rotor and vanes a constant or decreasing radius in the direction of rotation of said rotor in all positions of said casing relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor.

Claim 10

In a pump including a rotor formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, each of said vanes having a leading face and a trailing face, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor; the improvement wherein said casing is formed with inlet and outlet means which define suction, discharge and sealing zones in said chamber, said curved surface defining said chamber in the region of said sealing zones being formed in such a manner as to present to the rotor and vanes a constant or decreasing radius in the direction of rotation of said rotor in all positions of said casing relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor, each of the vanes being formed so that its outer tip engages said curved surface only in single line contact and said single line contact is substantially in the plane of one of said faces, radially extending fluid passage means formed in said vane placing inner and outer end surfaces of said vane in fluid communication through said passage means, one face of each of said vanes and the adjacent wall of each corresponding slot cooperating to form a substantially fluid tight seal between the vane and slot.

Claim 11

In a pump including a rotor formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving substantially radially extending vanes, each of said vanes having a leading face and a trailing face, radial movement of said vanes being controlled by a curved surface defining a chamber in a casing encircling said rotor; the improvement wherein said casing is formed with inlet and outlet means which define suction, discharge and sealing zones in said chamber, said curved surface defining said chamber in the region of said sealing zones being formed in such a manner as to present to the rotor and vanes a constant or decreasing radius in the direction of rotation of said rotor in all positions of said casing relative to the axis of rotation of said rotor, each of the vanes being formed so that its outer tip engages said curved surface only in single line contact and said single line contact is substantially in the plane of one of said faces, radially extending fluid passage means formed in said vane placing inner and outer end surfaces of said vane in fluid communication through said passage means, one face of each of said vanes and the adjacent wall of each corresponding slot cooperating to form a substantially fluid tight seal between the vane and slot.

Claim 12

In a variable volume pump including a housing, drive shaft means rotatably mounted in the housing, a rotor mounted on the drive shaft means and positioned between retainer plates, the rotor having a plurality of slots on its peripheral surface, and a substantially radially extending vane confined in each of said slots by a casing having an annular inner surface encircling said rotor to form a pumping chamber therebetween, the improvement wherein said housing includes a unitary body having integral upper, lower, front and rear walls, removable side walls secured to said body to form a substantially closed housing, said casing being slidably movable between said side walls, said retainer plates maintaining said casing in axial alignment with said rotor.

Claim 13

In a variable volume pump including a housing, drive shaft means rotatably mounted in the housing, a rotor mounted on the drive shaft means and positioned between retainer plates, the rotor having a plurality of slots on its peripheral surface, and a substantially radially extending vane confined in each of said slots by a casing having an annular inner surface encircling said rotor to form a pumping chamber therebetween, the improvement wherein said housing includes a unitary body having integral upper, lower, front and rear walls, removable side walls secured to said body to form a substantially closed housing, said casing being slidably movable between said side walls, said retainer plates maintaining said casing in axial alignment with said rotor.

Claim 14

The improvement in a variable volume pump of claim 7 further characterized by and including means for radially balancing said vanes in corresponding slots so that centrifugal force is substantially the only force urging said vanes outwardly through the operational cycle of said pump.

Claim 15

The impRovement in a variable volume pump of claim 7 further characterized in that said drive shaft means are rotatably supported by bearings mounted in said integral front and rear walls of said body.

Claim 16

The improvement in a variable volume pump of claim 7 further characterized in that said casing is formed with inlet and outlet means which define suction, discharge and sealing zones in said chamber, said annular inner surface encircling said rotor in the region of said sealing zones being formed in such a manner as to present to the rotor and vanes a constant or decreasing radius in the direction of rotation of said rotor in all positions of said casing relative to the axis of said rotor.

Claim 17

The improvement in a variable volume pump of claim 7 further characterized by and including bearing faces on said casing slidable on said side walls, and recess means formed in each of said bearing faces, said recess means being in fluid communication with said pumping chamber.

Claim 18

The improvement in a variable volume pump of claim 11, further characterized in that the surface area of each recess means approximates in size the corresponding projected area of the interior of the casing which is exposed to fluid pressure so as to balance fluid pressure forces between said casing and said side walls.