The present invention relates to fluid vane pumps, especially vane pumps used for pressurized lubrication of internal combustion engines.
Virtually all internal combustion engines have some type of internal positive pressure lubrication system. To provide the pressurized oil flow in the lubrication system, many automotive internal combustion engines have relied upon a gerotor type pump. Although gerotor type pumps have proven to be highly reliable, it is desirable to provide a variable displacement vane pump which requires less power draw on the engine in order to improve fuel economy.
The present invention brings forth a vane pump which includes a housing providing a generally cylindrically walled control volume wherein the control volume has an inlet and outlet. A rotor is provided having a rotatable axis within the cylindrical wall control volume. The rotor receives a plurality of radially movable vanes operatively associated with the cylindrical wall. A single vane ring is provided which is operatively associated with the rotor having an outer radial surface contacting the inner radial edges of the vanes.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
Referring to
Referring now to the Figures generally, the rotor 10 has a plurality of radial slots 14. Each of the radial slots 14 terminates in a cavity 16. The rotor 10 has an axial recess 22 that is generally singular and on one side of the rotor. The recess 22 is located between and partially separates an inner radial wall 27 from an outer radial wall 29 and providing operating space for a vane ring 84. The inner radial wall 27 of the rotor 10 has an outer radial surface 26 and inner surface 23. The outer radial wall 29 has an inner radial surface 28 and an angled outside surface 31. Extending across the axial recess 22 between the inner radial surface 26 and outer radial surface 28 is a series of axial ribs 30, which add rigidity to the rotor's 10 structure. Also, it is within the scope of the invention to not have ribs 30 if not needed for a particular application. The axial ribs 30 have an extreme end 32 which extends only partially the length of the recess 22 allowing space for the vane ring 84. Adjacent the radial slot 14, the rotor has vane supports 34. The rotor has a rotational axis 38. A generally cylindrical wall 50 provided by an eccentric ring 42 is eccentrically positioned with respect to the rotational axis 38. Eccentric ring 42 is position adjustably mounted within the housing 44, 44′. A further explanation of the system for adjusting the position of the eccentric ring 42 within the housing 44, 44′ is discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,896,489 or 6,790,013 or 7,018,178 or 7,396,214 or 7,674,095 or published U.S. Patent Application number 2006/0104823 and published PCT Application number PCT/US2008/005631; all of which are published or issued to Hunter et al., the disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
A control volume is defined by inner diameter 50, rotor 10 and axially spaced first and second housing surfaces 52, 54. The control volume is further subdivided into individual variable pumping chambers by vanes 76.
The control volume receives and discharges fluid through an arcuate inlet 58 and an arcuate outlet 60 in housing 44, 44′. As shown in
The inlet has a primary side 72 with an optional secondary side 74. The rotor 10 has a compound radial taper 70 along the outer angled surface 31 of the outer radial wall 29 with the taper 70 creating a smaller rotor diameter 71 at the rotor face adjacent the housing inlet port 72. The taper 70 allows the inside edge of the primary port 72 to have a smaller radius for admitting oil to the control volume at a lower tangential velocity. Radially movable within each of the slots 14 of the rotor is a corresponding vane 76. The vanes 76 are generally rectangular in shape having their outer radial end 78 operatively associated with the inner diameter 50 of the eccentric ring. The vanes 76 also have inner radial edge 80 contacting an outer radial edge 82 of a vane ring 84. The vane ring 84 has an axial length to radial thickness ratio of at least 200%. The vane ring 84, at its maximum axial length, extends along a major portion of the axial length of the generally rectangular vane and extends at least 50% of axial length of the vane. Axial length is shown in
The vane pump utilizing the rotor 10 is advantageous over prior vane pumps for several reasons. The taper 70 provides more total fluid admittance area for the inlet. The taper 70 on rotor 10 also allows more of the fluid from the inlet area 72 to enter into the pump at a more radially inward position. This radially inward position, as compared with the inlet 71 of a prior art vane pump 9 shown in
The rotor 10 also has the aforementioned deeper single recess 22 which causes the rotor 10 to be lighter than its previous rotor 11 with its multiple shallow recesses 13 (
Comparing the present invention to the prior art shown in
A path 104 in the housing from the outlet is connected with the area of the rotor adjacent the cavities 16 through a path 102 to allow the vanes to be pressurized in an outward direction. Optional walls 34 further give cantilever support to the vanes 76 and can in some applications aid in sealing between the separate pump chambers divided by the vanes and can also add rigidity to the structure of rotor 10.
The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/214,223, filed Apr. 21, 2009.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2010/001183 | 4/21/2010 | WO | 00 | 10/18/2011 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61214223 | Apr 2009 | US |