Abstract:
A rotary compressor or pump has a cam with a plurality of lobes mechanically engaging a plurality of pistons. The lobes urge the pistons from an open to a closed position within a piston void, the closure of the piston into the piston void creating compression or pressure of a material. Each piston is linked to another piston, and as one piston is closed by the cam, the other piston is opened by a linkage.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to pumps and compressors. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Pumps are used to pump fluids, including liquids and gasses, and to compress gasses. These devices may be powered by engines or motors that supply rotary motion, which may be converted to a reciprocating motion in some cases. Generally, rotary pumps and compressors may be more efficient since the direction of motion is not changed, as is the case with reciprocating engines. However, there continues to be a need for improved rotary pumps and compressors. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The rotary compressor or pump comprises an upper annular housing and a lower annular housing that form a stator. The upper annular housing and lower annular housing are mutually adjacent and concentric about a central rotary axle, each of the upper annular housing and the lower annular housing having a plurality of piston voids formed therein and a pistons disposed in each of the plurality of piston voids, and a cam having a plurality of lobes engaging the plurality of pistons. A connecting rod connects adjacent upper and lower pistons to move one piston away from its piston void as the cam pushes a paired piston into its piston void. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a perspective view of the invention apparatus; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view with a top panel and the lower annular housing removed; 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view with a first upper annular housing removed from a second upper annular housing, exposing piston voids and features of each housing element; 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  shows pistons inserted in the piston voids depicted in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view similar to  FIG. 2 , and includes a lower annular housing but without pistons disposed in piston voids of the lower annular housing; 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view similar to  FIG. 5 , with lower pistons disposed in the piston voids, with the lower pistons alternately articulated; 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view similar to  FIG. 6 , with the rotary axle positioned in the cam recess of the stator; 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view similar to  FIG. 5  with the lobes of the cam alternately engaging the pistons of the upper annular housing; 
           [0012]      FIG. 9  shows the view of  FIG. 8 , but with the upper annular housing elements removed; 
           [0013]      FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of the cam; 
           [0014]      FIG. 11  is a top plan view, with the cam and lobes engaging alternate pistons (shown in isolation) of the upper and lower annular housings; 
           [0015]      FIG. 12  is an elevation of the device of  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 13  is a bottom view similar to  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the device of  FIG. 11  showing fasteners for mounting the top panel to the upper annular housing; 
           [0018]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 14 , with the top panel shown and the fasteners installed; 
           [0019]      FIG. 16  illustrates the upper and lower pistons in fluid communication with fluid exhaust and intake ports and the opening and closing movements of the adjacent pistons actuated by piston rods and gears; 
           [0020]      FIG. 17  demonstrates the device used as a pump; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 18  illustrates a section of a stator in isolation showing internal structure of the stator. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    In accordance with the illustrations referenced herein, one or more embodiments of a rotary compressor or pump are disclosed and described, generally denoted by the reference character  10 . 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, as generally depicted in  FIG. 1 , the rotary compressor or pump  10  comprises a stator  12 . The stator  12  comprises an upper annular housing  16  enclosed by a top panel  14  and a lower annular housing  18  enclosed by a bottom panel  20 . 
         [0024]    The ends of a centrally aligned rotary axle  22  are visible on the outside of the stator  12 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  through  FIG. 7  illustrate the upper annular housing  16  and/or the lower annular housing  18 , separately or in combination, in greater detail. For example,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 , and  FIG. 5  illustrate the upper annular housing  16  having a centrally formed cam recess  28 . In addition,  FIG. 2  (for the upper annular housing  16 ) as well as  FIGS. 5, 6, and 7  (depicting the upper annular housing  16  and lower annular housing  18 ) illustrate a plurality of piston voids  24  and pistons  26  (with fixed end  26   a  and free end  26   b ) disposed therein. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  depicts the upper annular housing  16 , which may be a single unit or multiple units. In one embodiment, the upper annular housing  16  is formed of two units, mutually adjacent first upper annular housing  16   a  and second upper annular housing  16   b.    
         [0027]    The first upper annular housing  16   a  is superjacent to the second upper annular housing  16   b,  and similarly the second upper annular housing  16   b  is subjacent to the first upper annular housing  16   a.  As depicted in  FIG. 3 , the first upper annular housing  16   a  has been removed to illustrate additional detail in the second upper annular housing  16   b,  although it is envisioned that the first and second upper annular housings  16   a  and  16   b  are substantially mirror images of one another, and are aligned and joined to form the piston voids  24  depicted therein. 
         [0028]    In  FIG. 3 , the second upper annular housing  16   b  (representative of each annular housing element  16   a,    16   b,    18   a,    18   b ) comprises an outer circumferential wall  16   c  and an opposing inner circumferential wall  16   d,  and having intermediately disposed top surface  16   e  and bottom surface  16   f  there between to form an annular housing body. The piston voids  24  are recesses formed in the top surface  16   e  and opening at the inner circumferential wall  16   d.  Each piston void  24  includes at least one fluid exhaust port  30  and at least one fluid intake port  31 , into which fluid is drawn from or driven to the interior chamber(s) of the annular housing body, as also depicted in  FIG. 16 . In an embodiment, the exhaust and intake ports are fluidly coupled with separate exhaust and intake chambers that circumscribe the space formed between the outer and inner circumferential walls  16   c  and  16   d  of the upper annular housing  16  (or as representative for lower annular housing  18 ). This arrangement is virtually identical for the second lower annular housing  18   b.  For the first upper and first lower annular housing elements  16   a  and  18   a,  the voids  24  are formed in the lower surfaces and inner circumferential walls, with the top surfaces and outer circumferential walls intact. 
         [0029]    Continuing with  FIG. 3 , for each of the piston voids  24 , approximately one-half of the recess is illustrated. The piston voids  24  comprise a floor  24   a,  and three upstanding walls  24   b - 24   d.  The floor  24   a  and upstanding walls  24   b - 24   d  substantially complement the shape and design of the individual pistons  26  disposed therein. In addition to the at least one fluid exhaust port  30 , the piston voids  24  also include a piston rod aperture  32 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  adds the pistons  26  to the piston voids  24  of  FIG. 3 . Consistent with  FIG. 4  (and  FIGS. 6, 7, 9, and 11-14 ), each piston  26  comprises a fixed end  26   a  opposite a free end  26   b.  A curvilinear inside wall  26   c  faces the cam recess  28  formed inside the annular housings  16 / 18 . When urged into the closed position completely within a piston void  24 , it is envisioned that the inside wall  26   c  of a piston  26  has a substantially similar profile with the inner circumferential wall  16   d  of the annular housing  16   b  (using the second upper annular housing  16   b  as an example). A substantially linear outside wall  26   d  is formed between fixed end  26   a  and free end  26   b  opposite the inside wall  26   c  and facing the deepest position inside the piston void  24 . In addition, the pistons  26  may include a bearing  26   e  positioned at the inner face of the free end  26   b,  envisioned to engage the outermost surface of the cam lobes so encourage release and inhibit impingement during cam and lobe rotation. The pistons  26  may also include a piston ring  26   f  bounding the piston adjacent the linear wall  26   d.    
         [0031]    In particular, and in one embodiment of the piston voids  24  and pistons  26 , the piston void floor  24   a  is substantially flat and parallel to the top and bottom surfaces  16   e,    16   f , accommodating a substantially flat underside of the piston  26 . Upstanding walls  24   b - 24   d  generally complement each piston  26 , with the fixed end wall  24   b  having a small sweeping recess to accommodate the curvature of the fixed end  26   a  of the piston  26 . The free end wall  24   d  may include a larger sweeping recess to accommodate the larger curvature of the free end  26   b  of piston  26 . The piston void wall  24   c  may be substantially linear and flat like the outside linear wall  26   d  of piston  26 . 
         [0032]    A piston rod aperture  32  may be included in the piston void  24 . The aperture  32  accommodates a piston rod  34  utilized to interconnect pistons  26  disposed in the upper annular housing  16  with the adjacent pistons  26  disposed in the lower annular housing. The piston rod apertures  32  and rods  34  may include one or more bearings  33  (e.g.,  FIG. 9 ) for facilitating proper and enduring rotational or pivoting movement of the rod  34  in actuating movement of adjacent pistons  26  in the upper and lower annular housings  16  and  18 . 
         [0033]    As particularly illustrated in  FIG. 16 , one embodiment of the rods  34  and coupling between the upper and lower pistons  26   u  and  26   l  includes the utilization of complementary gears  35 . The upper gear  35   a  depends from the lower terminus of upper rod  34   a,  and the lower gear  35   b  depends from the upper terminus of lower rod  34   b.  As the lower piston  26   l  is pushed closed by a cam lobe into its piston void  24 , the upper piston  26   l  to which it is connected by the gear train is opened (moving inwardly toward the cam recess  28 ). The pistons on either side of  26   u  and  26   l  in the same housing are in an opposite configuration, since the lobes on the cams close every other piston within the housing. Each lower piston will be closed by the cam for the lower housing as the piston directly above it in the upper housing is opened by the gear train. Each upper piston will be closed by the cam for the upper housing as the piston directly below it in the lower housing is opened by the gear train. Each housing has a corresponding cam, with the cams staggered as shown in  FIG. 10  to achieve each piston in a housing opening alternately. 
         [0034]    The structure of  FIG. 16  mounts in the housing  18 , a portion of which is shown in  FIG. 18 . Channel  54  supplies either low pressure fluid to, or receives high pressure fluid from, piston void  24  through port  31 . Channel  54  is enclosed by adjoining channel  56  formed in housing  16 . Channel  58  supplies either low pressure fluid or receives high pressure fluid from piston void  24  through port  30 . Channel  58  supplies low pressure fluid if channel  54  receives high pressure fluid and receives high pressure fluid if channel  54  supplies low pressure fluid. The channels  56  and  60  of housing  16  also receive or supply fluid in a like manner. The channels  58  and  60  may be enclosed by an adjoining housing or by an enclosure such as panel  14 . An annular channel is present in each annular housing, such as  16   a  or  16   b.  The channels communicate with conduits  62 ,  64 . The conduits receive and/or supply fluid from an external source such as tank  50 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 7  depicts the annular housings  16  and  18  forming the central cam recess  28 , and with the rotary axle  22  aligned therein. It is envisioned that the axle  22  is concentric to the recess  28  and housings  16 ,  18 . As depicted, two bearings  22   a  and  22   b  are aligned along the axle  22  and spaced apart at a length corresponding to the thickness of cam  36 . The bearings  22   a  and  22   b  assist in maintaining the axial alignment of the cam  36  and lobes  38  relative to the housings  16 ,  18  and the corresponding piston voids  24  and pistons  26  therein. 
         [0036]      FIG. 8  through  FIG. 10  depict the cam  36  and lobes  38 .  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  are similar views, with the upper annular housing  16  removed in  FIG. 9  for greater clarity in arrangement and configuration of the cam  36  and lobes  38  relative to the pistons  26 . Lobes  38   a  are aligned with the pistons  26  in the upper annular housing  16  and the lower lobes  38   b  are aligned with the pistons in the lower annular housing  18 . 
         [0037]    As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , lobes  38   a  engage each piston  26  (in the upper annular housing  16 -not depicted) at or near the piston&#39;s free end  26   b  in the instant before the lobes  38   a  rotate toward the fixed end  26   a  of the adjacent piston  26 . The lobes push the pistons into the corresponding piston voids  24  in sequence. 
         [0038]    In  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , the cam  36  and lobes  38  are depicted in various perspectives to illustrate the offset arrangement or configuration between the upper lobes  38   a  and the lower lobes  38   b.    FIG. 10  depicts the cam  36  and lobes  38  in isolation. It is envisioned that the cam  36  and lobes  38  may be a single-body construction. It is also envisioned that the cam  36  and lobes  38  may be constructed from multiple bodies and assembled into a unitary body. 
         [0039]    In  FIG. 11  (and  FIG. 13 ), the cam  36  and lobes  38  are depicted in alignment with the pistons  26  of the upper and lower annular housings  16 , 18 . In this illustration, pistons  26  aligned within the upper annular housing  16  are denoted by reference character  26   u,  and pistons  26  aligned within the lower annular housing  18  are denoted by reference character  26   l  for further clarity. 
         [0040]    From this top-view perspective, the cam  36  and lobes  38  are depicted as rotating clockwise about the axle  22  (and counterclockwise from the bottom-up view in  FIG. 13 ). Used only for illustration purposes, and by way of example, the cam  36  comprises upper lobes  38   a  having four lobes  38   a  approximately ninety-degrees apart in the same plane, and lower lobes  38   b  having four lobes  38   b  also approximately ninety-degrees apart in the same plane. As can be seen, the upper lobes  38   a  and the lower lobes  38   b  are offset by approximately forty-five degrees relative to one another. The same number of upper pistons  26   u  and lower pistons  26   l  are provided (eight) in this example, whereby eight pistons  26   u ,  26   l  are engaged simultaneously (four upper and four lower, as depicted), and eight pistons are unengaged. By the physical offset between the upper and lower lobes  38   a  and  38   b,  the upper lobes  38   a  engages the (four) pistons  26   u  at a time interval different from that which the lower lobe set  38   b  engages the (four) pistons  26   l  . When an upper piston  26   u  is in the closed position, the lower piston  26   l  immediately subjacent to that upper piston  26   u  is in the open position, and vice versa. Through the lobes  38   a  and  38   b  offsets and utilizing the piston rod  34  and gear  35  assisting in the articulation between open and closed positions, the cam  36  is capable of maximizing compression. 
         [0041]    The number of lobes  38  and pistons  26  utilized may be variable based on desired dimensions, compression output, and other similar factors, and that the number of pistons and lobes will be provided in a 2:1 ratio (two pistons for every lobe), overall and with respect to each of the upper and lower annular housing  16 ,  18  levels provided. Additional pairs of upper and lower annular housings  16 ,  18  may be mounted over other pairs of upper and lower annular housings. The housings and axles  22  are connected as modules to increase the capacity of the device. Due to this modularity, the capacity of the device may also be decreased by removing one or more pairs of upper and lower annular housings. 
         [0042]      FIG. 14  and  FIG. 15  are similar views, with the lower pistons (denoted elsewhere as  26   l ) removed and top panel  14  removed (but representative of the image turned over to reveal the bottom panel  20  and removed the upper pistons). In  FIG. 14 , the top panel  14  is absent for the purpose of illustration, revealing the fasteners  40  used to secure the top panel  14  to the upper annular housing  16  through fastener apertures  42  provided in the panel  14 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 17  is an example of the device used as a pump to pump a fluid from a tank  50 . A power source, which may be a motor  52 , is attached to rotary axle  22  to cause rotation of the cams  36 . Rotation of the cams pulls fluid through a conduit such as  62 , and into a channel such as  54 , 56  and ports  31  by means of half of the pistons  26  opening as described herein. The cams  36  continue to rotate as described herein to push the pistons closed, which expels the fluid through ports  30 , communicating channels and conduits such as  64 . Appropriate valves may be used to present back flow of both the intake and outlet of fluids. The device may be used to pump liquids and gasses, or to compress gasses.