Abstract:
An improved pivoting vane pump or motor with vane timing that minimizes friction by eliminating contact between the pressurizing vane  52   a  and the pressure surface, big seal  64  and produces constant pressure and volume outputs at a given rotational speed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    A Provisional Patent Application was filed on Mar. 5, 2009, Application No. 61/209,405, Confirmation No. 9218 by Thomas P. Kadaja. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to pivoting vane hydraulic pumps and motors with vane timing. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 U.S. Class: 
                 418/268 
               
               
                   
                 Field of Search: 
                 418/268, 418/266, 418/153, 418/39 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       References Cited 
       [0003]    U.S. patent Documents 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 4,762,480 
                 September 1988 
                 Winkler et al. 
               
               
                   
                 4,846,638 
                 August 1989 
                 Pahl et al. 
               
               
                   
                 5,163,825 
                 November 1992 
                 Oetting 
               
               
                   
                 5,571,005 
                 November 1996 
                 Stoll et al. 
               
               
                   
                 6,939,117 B2 
                 September 2005 
                 Wheeler et al. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Currently there are two basic types of pivoting vane pumps or motors. The first has the pivoting vane pivoting at one end of the vane and the other has the pivoting vane pivoting near its center. Historically both types produced variable volume outputs and have the pressurizing vanes sliding on the inner housing surface creating friction and wear. In addition, these pumps/motors have circular inner housings surfaces providing sealing at only one point. 
         [0005]    Most pivoting vanes pivot between two vane stops that limit the rotation of the vane. When the vane is resting on the rotor and it is closed is the first vane stop. The second vane stop limits the vane rotation when the vane is pressurizing, i.e., it is open. Unless a specific vane stop is created the vane stop becomes the circular inner housing surface, creating wear and friction. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, the main object and advantage of this invention is to create a pivoting vane pump or motor with vane stops that produce a constant volume output, at a given speed, and increased mechanical efficiency, by reducing friction, in a cost-effective way. A new pivoting vane with a new housing performs these objects and advantages. This pump/motor minimizes friction because the pressurizing vanes do not contact the chamber wall. In addition, the clearances on this pump decrease with increased pressures allowing for greater pressures. Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
     
    
     
       DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0007]    In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes. A description of the first suffix describes the other suffixes. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an angled profile of a pivoting vane pump. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the pivoting vane pump illustrating section line  2 - 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the pivoting vane pump. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates the circular arcs and lines that make the pump inner chamber, the inner housing surface. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  illustrates the circular arcs and lines that make the vane. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  illustrates the circular arcs and lines that make the rotor. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-section, from section lines  2 - 2  in  FIG. 2 , of the pivoting vane pump. 
       
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS 
       [0015]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 20 
                 pump 
               
               
                   
                 22 
                 case 
               
               
                   
                 24a-b 
                 cover 
               
               
                   
                 26 
                 inlet 
               
               
                   
                 28 
                 outlet 
               
               
                   
                 30 
                 shaft 
               
               
                   
                 32a-h 
                 bolt 
               
               
                   
                 34a-h 
                 nut 
               
               
                   
                 36a-b 
                 flange 
               
               
                   
                 38a-b 
                 seal 
               
               
                   
                 40a-h 
                 bolt assembly 
               
               
                   
                 42 
               
               
                   
                 44a-b 
                 bushing 
               
               
                   
                 46 
                 keyway 
               
               
                   
                 48 
                 key 
               
               
                   
                 50a-c 
                 pin 
               
               
                   
                 52a-c 
                 vane 
               
               
                   
                 54 
                 rotor 
               
               
                   
                 56 
                 chamber 
               
               
                   
                 58 
                 opening arc 
               
               
                   
                 60 
                 closing arc 
               
               
                   
                 62 
                 small seal 
               
               
                   
                 64 
                 big seal 
               
               
                   
                 66a-b 
                 groove 
               
               
                   
                 68a-h 
                 case hole 
               
               
                   
                 70a-c 
                 cut 
               
               
                   
                 72a-b 
                 line 
               
               
                   
                 74a-c 
                 closed seal 
               
               
                   
                 76a-c 
                 vane pivot 
               
               
                   
                 78a-c 
                 pin holder 
               
               
                   
                 80 
               
               
                   
                 82a-c 
                 vane flat 
               
               
                   
                 84a-c 
                 pressure seal 
               
               
                   
                 86a-c 
                 rotor flat 
               
               
                   
                 88a-c 
                 pin housing 
               
               
                   
                 90a-c 
                 rotor pivot 
               
               
                   
                 92 
                 rotor hole 
               
               
                   
                 94 
                 rotor keyway 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    There is no unique size for the pump and usually measures in inches, but a pivoting vane motor for hydroelectric production may be 10-20 feet in diameter. The pump rotates counterclockwise. 
         [0017]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,480 is for a rotary pump with the pivot at one end of the vane. The pump has a circular housing and “a plurality of vanes pivotally mounted on the periphery of the rotor having free ends in sliding sealing contact with said bore,” from the ABSTRACT lines 11-13, This pump uses the housing surface for a vane stop. 
         [0018]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,638 is on a rotary fluid machine with pivoting vanes that is used as a compressor or a pump. This patent also has the vane pivoting near the center of the vane and a cam action that is in effect a vane stop. The cam action opens and closes the vanes and allows for wear at both ends of the vane to compensate for wear on each other. Even with the cam effect, they are using the housing surface for a vane stop as stated in SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION, paragraph 3, lines 11-13 “The vanes are, thus, designed and positioned to automatically self compensate for frictional wear on the vanes.” 
         [0019]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,825 is for an air or hydraulic motor with a vane stop specifically designed as a vane stop. In the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS, first paragraph, lines 7-9, “These forces bring the tips of the vanes into contact with the inner cylindrical wall of the housing 12.” The vanes wear away and create a clearance and the vane stop prevents the clearance from increasing. 
         [0020]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,005 is for a hinged vane rotary pump that has the vane hinged near the center of the vane and a circular housing with the vanes riding on the housing surface. This patent has a vane stop for closed vanes but not an open vane and consequently rides of the housing surface. As stated in the ABSTRACT, lines 9-11, “Preferably, stops are provided to limit movement of the vanes after maximum wear has occurred.” 
         [0021]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,117 B2 is for a rotary apparatus that is both a hydraulic pump and motor. The ABSTRACT states, lines 9-11 “the gates form a seal against surface (22), of outer housing (16) and a retracted position in which the gates (20) lie substantially against surface (24) of the housing (12).” Claim 24 states, “The machine according to claim 23, wherein each socket and each gate is provided with a first set of respective stop surfaces that come into mutual abutment when the gates swing to the sealing position from the retracted position.” 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a typical embodiment of the present invention. A pump  20  has a cover  24   a - b  attached to a case  22  by a bolt  32   a - h  and a nut  34   a - h.  Cover  24   a - b  is circular in shape and has a flange  36   a - b  centered on it. Centered inside flange  36   a - b  is a seal  38   a - b.  Seal  38   a - b  prevents fluid leakage along a shaft  30  and the inside of flange  36   a - b.  A inlet  26  is a fluid passage to the interior chamber of pump  20 . A outlet  28  is a fluid passage from the interior chamber of pump  20  to the exterior. Inlet  26  and outlet  28  have threads for connecting fluid lines, not illustrated. The pump/motor housing uses standard pump technology. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a side view of pump  20  illustrating section line  2 - 2 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of pump  20 . A bolt assembly  40   a - h,  consisting of bolt  32   a - h  and nut  34   a - h,  attach cover  24   a - b  to case  22 . The interior surface of cover  24   a - b  is flat. Sea  138   a - b  fits inside, on the exterior side, of cover  24   a - b.  A bushing  44   a - b  fits inside of cover  24   a - b  and allows the rotation of shaft  30 , a standard power shaft, with a keyway  46  and a key  48 . A roller  50   a - c  is a cylindrical rod with a smaller radius in the middle of their length. Case  22  is flat with one half of the exterior being circular and the other half being square. A vane  52   a - c  and a rotor  54  fit inside case  22 . The height of vane  52   a - c  and rotor  54  is slightly smaller, by the thickness of an oil film, than case  22 . A groove  66   b  fits on the bottom half of case  22 . Groove  66   b  is a shallow, and eighth or quarter of an inch in depth, and extents beyond outlet  28 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the arcs and lines that, when extruded; make the interior chamber surface, a chamber  56 , of case  22 . The lines from the center of chamber  56  lead to the endpoints of the various arcs and lines. The arc that makes a big seal  64  has an angle of about 130 degrees. The arc that makes a small seal  62  has an angle of about 50 degrees. The arcs of big seal  64  and small seal  62  have the same center but different radii. The radius of the arc of big seal  64  is slightly larger, by about a thousand of an inch, than the radius of the arc of a pressure seal  84   a,  shown in  FIG. 5 , when a vane  52   a  is open. Vane  52   a  in  FIG. 7  illustrates an open vane. A vane  52   c,  in  FIG. 7  illustrates a closed vane. 
         [0026]    The arc of a opening arc  58  is tangent to the arc of big seal  64  and tangent to a line  72   a,  a line. The arc of a closing arc  60  is a mirror image, top to bottom, of the arc of opening arc  58 . Line  72   a  is tangent to opening arc  58  and small seal  62 . A line  72   b  is a mirror image of line  72   a  and is tangent to closing arc  60  and small seal  62 . A groove  66   a  is approximately the same length, has the same center, but a slightly larger radius, as opening arc  58 . A groove  66   b  is approximately the same length, and has the same center, with a larger radius, as closing arc  60 . Groove  66   b  extends from about five degrees before the end of big seal  64  to a point near small seal  62  wherein vane  52   a  can close without trapping fluid. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  illustrates vane  52   a  and shows a side view of the arcs and line that make vane  52   a - c.  The arc of a closed seal  74   a  and small seal  62 , in  FIG. 4 , has arcs that have same center when vane  52   a  is closed. Their diameters differ by a small clearance, usually the thickness of an oil film. Pressure seal  84   a  has the same center as big seal  64 , in  FIG. 4 , when vane  54   a  is open. A vane pivot  76   a  has the same center as a rotor pivot  90   a,  in  FIG. 6 . Their diameters differ by the thickness of an oil film. 
         [0028]    One end of the arc of vane pivot  76   a  is tangent to the arc of close seal  74   a.  The other end of the arc of vane pivot  76   a  ends at the line of vane flat  82   a.  The other end of vane flat  82   a  ends at pressure seal  84   a.  The arc of vane pivot  76   a  is not continuous because of a pin holder  78   a.  Pin holder  78   a  is a cylindrical cut centered on the edge and approximately midway on the length of vane pivot  76   a.  A heel  80   a  occurs at the intersection of closed seal  74   a  and pressure seal  84   a.  When vane  52   a  opens or closes, it rides on heel  80   a  preserving closed seal  74   a  and pressure seal  84   a.    
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is a side profile of the lines and arcs that make rotor  54 . Rotor  54  is cylindrical in shape. A rotor pivot  90   a  is circular and tangent to the outer radius of rotor  54  and extends from a cut  70   a  to a rotor flat  86   a.  Rotor pivot  90   a, b, c  are spaced 120 degrees from each other. Cut  70   a  is a small section of material removed from rotor  54  and eliminates binding on vane  52   a  when it is open. A roller housing  88   a  is centered on the edge and located approximately halfway on the length of rotor pivot  90   a.  Each end of pin housing  88   a  has the same radius as roller holder  78   a  and roller  50   a  and the midsection of the arc is centered on the center of rotor pivot  90   a  and tangent to the ends. Rotor flat  86   a  is an end mill cut and located next to vane flat  82   a  when vane  52   a  is closed. Rotor  54  and closed vane  52   a - c  make a cylindrical shape. The center of rotor  54  has a rotor hole  92  that is slightly larger than shaft  30 . A rotor keyway  94  is a keyway. 
         [0030]      FIG. 7  is a cross section of pump  20  along section line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 2  and illustrates how the various pump components connect together. Inlet  26  and outlet  28  connect to chamber  56  and to their respective fluid lines, not illustrated. Case  22  has holes, a case hole  68   a - h,  drilled into case  22 . Case hole  68   a - h  accommodates their respective bolt  32   a - h.  Rotor  54  holds and positions pin  50   a - c,  shaft  30  and key  48 , and allows vane  52   a - c  to pivot. 
         [0031]      FIG. 7  illustrates pump  20  operations. An external power source rotates shaft  30 . Shaft  30  has key  48  that holds and allows rotor  54  to rotate. Rotor  54  also holds and allows the rotation of vane  52   a - c  and roller  50   a - c.  Drag on the sides of vane  52   a - c  causes them to open. Starting with closed vane  52   c,  vane  52   c  slides on line  72   a  and opening arc  58  until it reaches the position of vane  52   a.  In the vane  52   a  position pressure seal  84   a  is parallel to, but not touching, big seal  64 . Roller  50   c  has moved to the location of roller  50   a.  Roller  50   a  prevents vane  52   a  from opening too far and touching chamber  56  wall and is a vane stop. Roller  50   a  is attached to vane  52   a  and rotates in roller housing  88   a.  Vane  52   a  is in position to begin the 120-degree pressurizing cycle. Vane  52   a  is pressurizing fluid on the pressure side and drawing in fluid on the draw side. 
         [0032]    When vane  52   a  reaches the position of vane  52   b,  the pressure/draw cycle is over. Vane  52   b  position has slid onto groove  66   b.  Groove  66   b  breaks the pressure seal and allows vane  52   b  to close without any pressure bias on one side. As the rotating vane  52   b  moves to the vane  52   c  position groove  66   b  allows vane  52   b  to close by allowing the fluid to escape. Groove  66   a  allows fluid to slide past vane  52   a - c  until the start of the pressure cycle. 
         [0033]    Consequently only one vane  52   a - c  is pumping, for 120 degrees, at any time. When vane  52   a - c  looses pressure, the next vane  52   a - c  is in position to begin pressurizing and provides a constant output volume for pump  20 . 
         [0034]    Thus, the reader will see that the pivoting vane pump creates a highly efficient pump or motor. This efficiency stems from vane  52   a - c  not touching the big seal  64  when pressurizing fluid and having no pressure bias when opening or closing. Another advantage is that with increased pressure there will be a slight flexing of the vane, which will reduce vane/wall clearances even further. 
         [0035]    The advantage of this invention is vane timing where only one vane produces pressure for 120 degrees and consists of the following three improvements.
       First is a seal, big seal  64 , that has an arc that has the same center as the arc of open vane  52   a - c  but their arcs have slightly different radii so they never make contact but still provide a seal.   Second, are groove  66   a, b  that allow vane  52   a - c  to open and close without pressure bias and sets the location where vane  52   a - c  begins and ends the pressure cycle.   Third is roller  50   a - c  that limits the rotation of vane  52   a - c,  the vane stop.       
 
         [0039]    Consequently vane timing produces a pump or motor that operates at a given volume and pressure while minimizing friction. This contrast to earlier pivoting vane pumps that were continuously producing pressure that had variable volume and pressure outputs. Earlier pivoting vane pumps also had the vane sliding on the pressurizing surface that created more friction with increasing pressure. 
         [0040]    The pivoting vane pump is the only positive displacement pump in the world that accommodates backpressure. Besides hydraulic pumps and motors, a multi-chambered pivoting vane pump makes a transmission for bicycles, tricycles, etc. The pivoting vane also makes gas compressors, for compressing air, etc. The pivoting vane motor also works as a water turbine for hydroelectric production. 
         [0041]    While my description contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplification of one preferred embodiment thereof. 
         [0042]    Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.