GB2084652A

GB2084652A - A rotating and pumping unit operable both for supporting a rotary member and for feeding a liquid

Info

Publication number: GB2084652A
Application number: GB8127933A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: RIV Officine di Villar Perosa SpA
Current assignee: SKF Industrie SpA
Priority date: 1980-09-29
Filing date: 1981-09-16
Publication date: 1982-04-15
Also published as: IT8068505A0; IT1130845B; FR2491171A3; GB2084652B; FR2491171B3

Abstract

The unit comprises an inner annular body 1 and an outer annular body 2 between which there is disposed at least one ring of rolling bodies 3 and at least one impeller 5 of a pump rigidly connected to the said inner annular body 1. The inner annular body 1 is provided with a seat 4 on which the impeller 5 can be keyed, and the outer annular body 2 is provided with a cavity 10 which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the inner annular body 1 and constitutes a chamber of the pump, there being at least one pair of passages 13, 14 constituting induction and discharge passages, respectively, for the pumped liquid. The unit operates as a bearing for a rotatable member and as a pump for a liquid such as oil or fuel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A rotating and pumping unit operable both for supporting a rotary member and for feeding a liquid with lubricating properties The present invention relates to a pumping and rotating unit operable both for supporting a rotary member and for feeding a liquid with lubricating properties.

The unit of the invention is characterised by the fact that it comprises an inner annular body and an outer annular body between which there is disposed at least one ring of rolling bodies and at least one impeller of a pump, rigidly connected to the said inner annular body, the said inner annular body being provided with a seat on which the said impeller can be keyed, the said outer annular body being provided with a cavity which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the said inner annular body to comprise a chamberforthe said pump, there being formed in the said inner and outer annular bodies at least one pair of passages which can put the said cavity in communication with the external environment around the said bodies and can constitute induction and discharge passages for the liquid to and from the pump.

As will become clearer from what will be described below, the unit of the invention is able to support any type of rotary member, for example a shaft of a device or a machine, like a normal rolling bearing, and at the same time to perform the function of a true and proper pump for feeding a liquid; the unit is able to perform the two said functions in an equally satisfactory manner as when these are performed by two entirely separate devices (bearing and pump) and has a bulk substantially equal to that of a normal bearing or a bearing assembly of the same loadbearing capacity, and a notably simple and compact structure.

The unit of the invention can therefore be used conveniently in devices and machines in which the two first mentioned functions are required, and which therefore include rotary members supported by bearings and at least one pump.

It is therefore particularly suitable to be used in a heat engine, or in an operating machine.

For a better understanding of the present invention there will now be given, by way of example, a description of several embodiments ofthe invention, with reference to the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal section of a first embodiment of the unit of the invention; Figure 2 is a section of the unit of Figure 1, taken on a plane ii-ii; Figures 3 and 4 are sections similar to those of Figure 2, illustrating different embodiments of the unit; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a part of a unit for illustrating different sealing means from those illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a part of a unit illustrating a further embodiment.

The unit of the invention substantially comprises a pair of annular bodies, an inner body 1 and an outer body 2, between which there is disposed at least one ring of rolling bodies 3; in the case of the embodiment of Figure 1 there are, for example, two such rings; the said rolling bodies can be balls or rollers of anyform.

On the inner annular body 1 there is formed a seat 4 for an impeller 5 of a pump; this seat can be of any form provided that it can allow the said impeller to be keyed onto the inner annular body 1, preferably by means of force-fitting such connection could be of any other type. The said impeller, which can have any known structure, may simply comprise a plurality of radial vanes 6, as in the case of Figure 1, or else such vanes can be radially movable within the hub of the impeller itself, as in the case of Figure 3, or else it can be constiuted by a simple disc 7 in which there are formed radial passages 8 (Figure 4) in communication with other passages 9 formed in the inner annular body 2.

The outer annular body 2, in correspondence with the impeller 5, has a cavity 10 of any form, for constituting the chamber of a pump the impeller of which is constituted precisely by the element 5; this cavity can be simply cylindrical and positioned eccentrically with respect to the axes of the annular bodies 1 and 2 as in the emdodiments of Figures 1,3 and 4.

In the annular bodies 1 and 2 there are formed at least two passages for putting the cavity 10 in communication with the external environment around the said annular bodies and for constituting the liquid induction and delivery passages of the pump; such passages are positioned with respect to one another in such a way that at least a part of the annular cavity 15 between the two annular bodies 1 and 2 lies between these so that the flow of liquid generated by the said pump flows over the rolling bodies 3.

An arrangement of these passages which satisfies this requirement is that of Figure 1, in which these passages, indicated 13 and 14 are formed on the outer annular body to one side of the two rings of rolling bodies 3; in this way a flow of liquid can be generated which, by entering from the passage 13 (which is therefore the induction passage) and leaving through the passage 14 (which is therefore the delivery passage) flows over the rolling bodies 3.

The said passage can be formed one on the inner annular body and the other on the outer annular body, as in the case, for example, of the embodiment of Figure 4 in which the induction passages are constituted by holes 9 in the inner annular body 1; naturally constructional solutions can be formed in which both the induction passages and the delivery passages are on the inner annular body.

The annular cavity 15 lying between the two annular bodies 1 and 2 is closed off from the exteroir by sealing means which can be of any type and which serve to prevent the escape of liquid from the cavity itself. Such means can include annular sealing elements 16, as in the case of figure 1, or whenever the rotary member on which the inner annular body 1 is keyed must not project to one side with respect to it, by a closure cover 17, obviously there can be provided sealing means different from those described.

The annular bodies 1 and 2 can conveniently be provided with annular grooves 18 disposed laterally of each of the induction and discharge passages 13 an 14 (figure 1 ) for housing a corresponding sealing ring (not illustrated) provided to cooperate with corresponding support surfaces of the unit for the purpose of sealing the liquid which is supplied and discharged from the said passages.

The embodiment of Figure 6 differs from the preceding embodiments since the pump is constituted by a pair of toothed wheels 19, 20 one of which is rigidly connected in any way to the inner annular body 1 of the bearing and the other of which is freely rotatable on a pin 21 carried by the end cover 17; obviously, in this case, the cavity 10 formed in the inner annular body 1 is formed in such a way that it can house the said two toothed wheels.

The operation of the unit is as follows.

It is mounted on a suitable cylindrical seat, like a normal rolling bearing, by coupling the outer surface of the outer annular body 2 with the surface of the seat itself; into this seat there open suitable passages for connecting with the induction passage 13 and delivery passage 14 of the unit; the liquid seal is ensured by the sealing rings lodged in the annular grooves 18.

A rotatable member of the machine or device on which the unit is mounted is supported for rotation by the inner annular body 1 by connecting, for example, such member with the internal bore of this annular body.

Therefore the unit is able both to support the said member for rotation like a normal rolling bearing and to perform contemporaneouslythefunction of a pump since the rotation of the inner annular body 1 within the unit makes the impeller 5 (or the two toothed wheels 19 and 20) rotate thereby causing a distinct pumping action tending to draw liquid either through the cavity 15 between the two annular bodies (Figure 1 ) orthrough the passage 22 of the inner annular body (Figure 4), and to feed it under pressure to the delivery passage 14; there is thus established a flow of liquid from the induction passage 13 to the delivery passage 14, which flows over the rolling bodies 3 and the associated tracks of the annular bodies and causes an effective lubricating action on these.

Therefore with the unit of the invention it is possible to circulate any liquid under pressure within the machine or device on which the unit is mounted whilst also performing two different functions, one a bearing and the other a rolling function.

The bulk of the unit is very reduced and corresponds approximately to that of the bearing or bearings which would in any case be necessary for rotatably supporting the said rotary member. Moreover, this unit is constructionally very simple and therefore of very reduced cost.

A unit of this type could therefore be mounted in a heat engine, to perform a bearing function for any rotary member and, contemporaneously, serve as a pumpforthe oil orthefuel; or could be mounted on any type of operating machine to support a rotary member and perform the function of a pump for any purpose.

It is apparent that the various parts of the described embodiment of the present invention can be modified and varied without departing from the scope of the invention itself.

Claims

1. An integrated unit functioning to support a rotary member and to feed a liquid with lubricating properties, characterised by the fact it comprises an inner annular body and an outer annular body between which there is diposed at least one ring of rolling bodies and at least one impeller of a pump rigidly connected to the said inner annular body, the said inner annular body being provided with a seat on which the said impeller can be keyed and the said outer annular body being provided with a cavity which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the said inner annular body and able to constitute a chamber for the said pump, there being formed in the said inner annular body and outer annular body at least one pair of passages for putting the said cavity into communication with the external environment around the said annular bodies and to constitute the induction and discharge passages for the pump liquid.

2. A unit according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said passages are positioned with respect to one another in such a way that at least a part of the cavity which lies between the said annular bodies and in which the said rolling bodies are lodged is located between these, in such a way that the flow of liquid generated by the said pump flows overthesaid rolling bodies.

3. The unit according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised by the fact that the said cavity which lies between the said annular bodies is separated from the external environment by means of liquid sealing means.

4. A unit according to Claim 3, characterised by the fact that the said sealing means include an annu larsealing element.

5. A unit according to any preceding claim, characterised by the fact that the said sealing means include a closure coverforthe said cavity.

6. A unit according to any of the preceding claims; characterised by the fact that the said impeller is a centrifugal impeller with substantially radial vanes.

7. A unit according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that the said impeller is a centrifugal impeller provided with vanes which are movable in radial grooves in the impeller itself.

8. A unit according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that the said impeller includes radial passages in communication with radial passages formed in the said inner annular body.

9. A unit according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that the said impeller is a rotor provided with teeth which can mesh with corresponding teeth on another rotor freely rotably mounted on the said cover.

10. An integtrated unit functioning to support a rotary member and to feed a liquid with lubricating properties, substantially as described and illustrated in the attached drawings.