Oil pump having a suction and pressure pipe arrangement

Claim 1

A driven oil pump, of the type which is preferably driven only in one direction, comprising: a housing mounted on a base; a pair of rotatable pump elements provided within the housing and having an intake side and a discharge side; a suction chamber communicating with the intake side of the pump elements, the suction chamber being substantially within the housing and having substantially crescent-shaped portions at the intake side of the rotatable pump elements; a pressure chamber communicating with the discharge side of the pump elements, the pressure chamber being substantially within the housing; a suction pipe communicating with the suction chamber; a pressure pipe communicating with the pressure chamber and concentrically disposed within the suction pipe such that a longitudinal axis of the pressure pipe intersects a rotational axis of each of the pump elements whereby the pump accommodates an opposite driving direction by a 180° turn of said housing around the longitudinal axis of the pressure pipe; venting means for venting the suction chamber; and an oil sump which communicates with the base and the housing at the location of mounting to provide a seal between the housing and the base, and wherein the venting means vents to the oil sump.