Claims
- 1. An electric motor lateral channel fuel pump comprising:
- a rotor driven to rotate by the motor and having a pair of generally opposed faces;
- a stator;
- a pumping channel between the rotor and the stator having an inlet and an outlet;
- a first set of vanes in the rotor constructed to generate pressure within the pumping channel to increase the pressure of fuel in the pumping channel from the inlet to the outlet;
- a second channel between the rotor and the stator and having an inlet and an outlet;
- a second set of vanes in the rotor defining pockets communicating with only one face of the rotor and constructed to generate pressure within the second channel whereby the second channel provides a force applied to the rotor which is greater adjacent the inlet of the pumping channel than adjacent the outlet of the pumping channel to at least in part balance the force across the rotor applied to the rotor by the fuel in both the pumping channel and the second channel and to reduce the frictional forces between the rotor and stator as the rotor rotates.
- 2. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the pumping channel is disposed generally radially inwardly of the second channel.
- 3. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the pumping channel is disposed generally radially outwardly of the second channel.
- 4. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the pumping channel is disposed generally radially inwardly of the second channel and at least a portion of the pumping channel is disposed generally radially outwardly of the second channel.
- 5. The fuel pump of claim 1 which also comprises at least one cavity formed in the stator in communication with the second channel to receive liquid fuel under pressure therein and constructed and arranged to provide a force applied to the rotor to help balance the forces across the rotor.
- 6. The fuel pump of claim 5 wherein one cavity of said at least one cavity communicates with the second channel outlet and at least one other cavity is communicated with said one cavity through a calibrated slot to control the pressure in said at least one other cavity.
- 7. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the inlet of the second channel is circumferentially spaced from the pumping channel inlet.
- 8. The fuel pump of claim 7 wherein the inlet of the second channel is disposed generally midway between the pumping channel inlet and the pumping channel outlet.
- 9. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the pumping channel and second channel are generally circular and generally concentric with the axis of rotation of the rotor.
- 10. The fuel pump of claim 9 wherein the pumping channel spans approximately 330.degree. to 350.degree..
- 11. The fuel pump of claim 9 wherein the second channel spans approximately 330.degree. to 350.degree..
- 12. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the rotor has at least one inlet opening therethrough communicating liquid fuel downstream of the outlet of the pumping channel with the second channel.
- 13. The fuel pump of claim 12 wherein the at least one inlet opening in the rotor communicates with the inlet of the second channel which is disposed adjacent the axis of the rotor.
- 14. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the first and second set of vanes each comprise a plurality of individual vanes formed in a circular path in the rotor.
- 15. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the stator has a central cavity and the outlet of the pumping channel communicates with the central cavity.
- 16. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein each vane of the first set of vanes is formed completely within one face of the rotor spaced generally radially inwardly from a periphery of said one face of the rotor.
- 17. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein each vane of the second set of vanes is disposed radially inwardly of a periphery of said one face of the rotor.
- 18. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the pumping channel is disposed generally radially inwardly of an outer edge of the stator.
- 19. The fuel pump of claim 1 wherein the second channel is disposed generally radially inwardly of an outer edge of the stator.
- 20. An electric motor lateral channel fuel pump comprising:
- a rotor driven to rotate by the motor;
- a stator;
- a first pumping channel between the rotor and the stator and having an inlet and an outlet;
- a second pumping channel between the rotor and the stator and having an inlet, an outlet, a portion disposed radially inwardly of at least a portion of the first pumping channel and a portion disposed radially outwardly of at least a portion of the first pumping channel; and
- a first set of vanes in the rotor constructed to generate pressure within separate portions of the first and second pumping channels to increase the pressure of fuel in the first and second pumping channels;
- a second set of vanes in the rotor constructed to communicate with and increase the pressure within separate portions of the first and second pumping channels whereby the second pumping channel provides a force applied to the rotor which is greater adjacent the inlet of the first pumping channel than adjacent the outlet of the first pumping channel to at least in part balance the force across the rotor applied to the rotor by the fuel in both the first pumping channel and the second pumping channel and to reduce the frictional forces between the rotor and stator as the rotor rotates.
- 21. The fuel pump of claim 20 wherein the second pumping channel has a transitional section which passes between the inlet and outlet of the first pumping channel.
- 22. The fuel pump of claim 21 wherein the first pumping channel has a portion disposed radially inwardly of a portion of the second channel and a portion disposed radially outwardly of a portion of the second channel and a transitional section which passes between the inlet and outlet of the second pumping channel such that the first pumping channel has a low pressure section between its inlet and its transitional section and which is positioned on the stator generally at substantially the same radius as the radius of the position of a low pressure section of the second pumping channel between its transitional section and its inlet.
- 23. The fuel pump of claim 22 wherein the first pumping channel has a high pressure section between its transitional section and its outlet which is positioned radially on the stator at substantially the same radius as the radius of the position of a high pressure section of the second pumping channel defined between its transitional section and its outlet.
- 24. The fuel pump of claim 22 wherein the inlet of the first pumping channel is disposed radially inwardly of the first pumping channel outlet and the inlet of the second pumping channel is disposed radially inwardly of the second pumping channel outlet.
- 25. The fuel pump of claim 23 wherein the first set of vanes is disposed in a circular array on the rotor and the second set of vanes is also disposed in a circular array on the rotor spaced radially outwardly of the first set of vanes.
- 26. The fuel pump of claim 25 wherein the second set of vanes communicates with the high pressure sections of both the first and second pumping channels and the first set of vanes communicates with the low pressure sections of both the first and second pumping channels.
- 27. The fuel pump of claim 23 wherein the low pressure sections of both the first and second pumping channels have a greater cross-sectional area than their corresponding high pressure sections.
- 28. The fuel pump of claim 27 which also comprises a pair of vapor purge ports each formed in a separate one of the first and second pumping channels upstream of the high pressure section of its respective pumping channel.
- 29. The fuel pump of claim 27 wherein the high pressure section of each of the first and second pumping channels is lower than the corresponding low pressure section of the corresponding pumping channel.
- 30. The fuel pump of claim 20 wherein both the first and second pumping channels are generally arcuate and span between 300 and 350 degrees.
- 31. The fuel pump of claim 20 wherein the inlet of the first pumping channel is circumferentially offset from the inlet of the second pumping channel by about 180 degrees.
- 32. The fuel pump of claim 20 wherein the outlet of the first pumping channel is circumferentially offset from the outlet of the second pumping channel by about 180 degrees.
REFERENCE TO APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application U.S. Ser. No. 08/963,046 filed on Nov. 3, 1997 and abandoned in favor of this application.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1260039 |
Mar 1961 |
FRX |
2105121 |
Aug 1972 |
DEX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
963046 |
Nov 1997 |
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