Patent ID: 8011909

Claim:
A vane pump assembly comprising: a) a housing having opposing faces separated by a camming surface to define a pumping chamber, the housing defining at least one housing inlet for admitting fluid into the pumping chamber; b) a rotor mounted for axial rotation within the pumping chamber, the rotor defining a flowpath in fluid communication with discharge pressure; c) a plurality of vane assemblies coupled to the rotor to define a plurality of circumferentially spaced vane buckets for compressing the fluid, wherein each vane assembly has a front end and a rear end, each end having a seal assembly for reducing circumferential leakage between the vane buckets, wherein each vane assembly has a pathway in fluid communication with the flowpath to provide the discharge pressure to the seal assemblies for urging the seal assemblies axially outward; and d) front and rear side plates having rotor faces, wherein the seal assemblies seal against the respective rotor face.