JP2006527818A - Single vane rotary pump or motor - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotary vane pump or motor comprising a housing ( 16 ) with cylindrical inner peripheral wall defining a cavity, and a rotor ( 20 ) with cylindrical peripheral surface and a socket ( 41 ) internal to said peripheral surface, eccentrically disposed in the cavity. The rotor ( 20 ) is adapted to scroll the inner peripheral wall in close proximity thereto. The inner peripheral wall and the rotor surface define a working chamber between them. The housing ( 16 ) has a vane ( 22 ) with an end received within the socket ( 41 ) so as to enable the vane to slide in the socket maintaining predetermined degree of fluid tightness therebetween, and to enable the rotor ( 20 ) to orbit the cavity. The housing ( 16 ) has an inlet port ( 24 ) adjacent one side of the vane and an outlet port ( 26 ) adjacent the other side of the vane, both ports being open to the inner peripheral wall.

Description

  The present invention relates to vane pumps and vane motors, and is particularly used to pump fluids in the chemical, medical, and food industries where the pump must be frequently cleaned or replaced due to the cleanliness required for the process. Relates to a single vane rotary pump.

  Single vane rotary pump / motors are historically known from attempts to build steam engines with rotating pistons. This system was then applied to the compressor / pump. (In this technical field, it is generally known that a rotary piston engine (motor) can be converted into a pump by providing an external drive device, and vice versa). Discloses a rotary pump that includes a housing having a cylindrical cavity and a cylindrical piston (rotor) eccentrically disposed therein and having a smaller diameter. By the pump drive by the eccentric crank, the piston circulates in the cavity while scrolling the inner peripheral wall. This defines an arcuate pump chamber between the piston and the housing. The piston has a radial protrusion (vane) in the recess of the housing, and the protrusion divides the pump chamber into an expansion chamber and a contraction chamber. The pump further has a suction port connected to the expansion chamber on one side of the vane and a discharge port connected to the contraction chamber on the other side of the vane. In one embodiment, the vane has a cylindrical tip, while the recess is a radial groove with parallel walls that contact the cylindrical tip, allowing the vane to slide and pivot. . In another embodiment, the vanes and recesses have a triangular shape.

  Patent Document 2 discloses several examples of single vane pumps. The pump has a single vane that is connected to the rotor and housing across the pump chamber. In one embodiment, the vane is slidably engaged with the housing and hinged to the rotor. In the second embodiment, the vane is also slidably engaged with the housing but is not coupled to the rotor. The vane is urged toward the rotor in the radial direction by the spring in the sliding coupling portion, and comes into sliding contact with the rotor. In the third embodiment, the vane slides in a socket that is integrally formed with the rotor and is rotatably coupled to the housing.

In most embodiments, when the scroll region of the rotor passes over the vane joint, neither the vane nor the rotor in that position separates the pump inlet from the outlet, thereby reducing fluid backflow or pressure loss. In order to prevent this, the outlet is closed by a check valve.
British Patent 926,495 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-200887

  According to the present invention, a rotary vane pump or motor having a housing having a cylindrical inner peripheral wall that defines a cavity, and a rotor having a socket on the outer periphery of the cylindrical shape and inside the outer periphery and eccentrically disposed in the cavity. Is provided. The rotor is configured to scroll the inner peripheral wall close to the inner peripheral wall. The inner peripheral wall and the rotor outer periphery define a working chamber between them. The housing is the end that is housed in the socket so that the vane can slide through the socket while maintaining a certain degree of fluid tightness between the vane and the socket and the rotor can circulate in the cavity. Having vanes. The housing has a suction port adjacent to one side of the vane and a discharge port adjacent to the other side of the vane, and both the suction port and the discharge port are open in the inner peripheral wall. The working chamber includes a first expansion suction chamber that is in fluid communication with the suction port and a second contraction discharge chamber that is in fluid communication with the discharge port by a scroll region and vanes adjacent to each other between the rotor surface and the inner peripheral wall of the housing. Divided.

  In one embodiment, the socket has parallel walls and the vane has a cylindrical tip that is received in the socket and cooperates with the wall to provide fluid tightness. The vane is fixed to the housing, but is thinner than the cylindrical tip, and thus can swing in the socket.

  In another embodiment, the socket has an opening with two round lips, and the two round lips contain the vanes and cooperate to provide fluid tightness. The socket has a wider cavity in the back of the lip so that the vane can swing within the socket. The vanes may have parallel walls, in which case the fluid tightness changes with changes in the angle when swinging. Alternatively, the protrusion may be elastic, or the thickness of the vane can be changed along the longitudinal direction of the vane, so that the fluid tightness becomes almost uniform even if the angle changes during swinging.

  In yet another embodiment, the socket has an opening formed as a swivel cylindrical coupling, the opening being configured such that a vane of uniform thickness slides within the coupling and the vane rocks with the coupling. To be able to move.

  In yet another embodiment, the socket has parallel walls and the end of the vane received in the socket fits into the gap between the parallel walls, but the vane is not secured to the housing. . The vane may be attached to the housing by a hinge or be flexible so that it bends as the rotor circulates in the housing. In the latter case, the parallel walls are preferably joined to the outer circumference along a smooth curve so that the vanes can bend smoothly.

  The design according to the invention has two major advantages. One is that the rotation angle at which the rotor and the cylinder do not come into scroll contact can be reduced by arranging the suction and discharge of the pump and the motor closer to each other. A second advantage is that the balance between the rotor and the rotor is maintained when fluid pressure is applied to the rotor because the seal between the vane and the rotor is performed at the outer periphery of the rotor. That is, the fluid pressure exerts a force toward the center of the rotor so that the force between the vane and the rotor socket is negligible. In contrast, in prior art rotors, pressure is exerted on the protruding vane, which biases the vane against the socket and creates friction (note: this advantage does not apply to the structure shown in FIG. 6). Absent). A further advantage of the vanes extending inward from the housing is that the structure is compact for pumps that employ long vanes.

  In a further embodiment of the invention, the rotary vane pump or motor is provided with a seal barrier disposed between the rotor outer periphery and the inner peripheral wall, preferably adjacent to the inlet or outlet. The barrier is configured to prevent fluid communication between the inlet and outlet when the scroll region is on or between the inlet or outlet. The second seal barrier is preferably disposed adjacent to the other port. The seal barrier may be made of an elastic material, and may be attached to the inner peripheral wall or the outer periphery of the rotor. Alternatively, the seal barrier may be formed as cooperating teeth on the inner peripheral wall and the rotor outer periphery. The seal barrier may be formed as a detail integrally formed on the lip of the socket opening. This provides a single vane pump or motor that does not require the check valve to be turned on yesterday, but instead uses a barrier to maintain separation between pump or motor intake and exhaust.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the rotary vane pump is used in a pump device coupled to a drive unit having an eccentric drive member and driving a rotor. The pump is detachable from the drive unit, and these two units are configured such that the rotor fits into the eccentric drive member when the pump is attached to the drive unit. The pump device preferably has attachment means that allow easy operation without tools.

  Preferably, the rotor has a concentric socket, the eccentric drive member has an eccentric crank configured to fit into the concentric socket rotatably by a bearing when the pump is attached to the drive unit, and the housing , Having a sealed opening that allows the crank to enter the concentric socket. Preferably, the crank has a taper head with a diameter and eccentricity that allows the crank to enter the concentric socket regardless of the socket and crank arrangement prior to installation.

  The rotary vane pump is preferably made of a material (eg, plastic) suitable for use as a disposable unit.

  Thus, a pumping device comprising two main components: a permanent drive unit containing all costly components and a low cost disposable pump unit that contacts the pumped medium and can be quickly and easily replaced. Is provided. The disposable pump unit includes all pump parts that are subject to severe wear or contamination, so replacing this unit makes it a complete pumping device as new as to wear and cleanliness.

  The rotary vane pump of the present invention preferably further includes a bypass flow path integrally formed with the housing. The bypass flow path includes an inlet in fluid communication with the suction port, an outlet in fluid communication with the discharge port, an inlet and an outlet. And a check valve that allows fluid flow to bypass the pump chamber while the rotary vane pump is pulsating during pump operation, thereby improving flow uniformity. The pump has a pulsation damper, which may further have an air chamber and is connected to the outlet to weaken the pressure ripple present at the outlet of the rotary vane pump.

  Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

  For the purpose of understanding the invention and its applications, a preferred embodiment will now be described by way of example without limiting the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 4 show a pump device 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The pump device 10 includes a single vane pump 12 and a drive unit 14 that are detachably attached to each other. The pump 12 includes a housing 16 having a cylindrical cavity and a cylindrical rotor 20 eccentrically disposed in the housing cavity so as to define a working chamber 18. The housing 16 has a suction port 24 and a discharge port 26 communicating with the working chamber 18, and a radial vane 22 disposed between the suction port 24 and the discharge port 26. The suction port 24 and the discharge port 26 are open at the inner peripheral wall 28 of the working chamber. The housing 16 includes a bypass passage 29 having an inlet 30 that communicates with the inlet 24, an outlet 32 that communicates with the outlet 26, and a check valve 34 between the inlet 30 and the outlet 32. The two seal barriers 35 are disposed on the peripheral wall 28 adjacent to the suction port 24 and the discharge port 26, respectively. The housing 16 has a central opening 36 in its wall 37 and a cover 38 that closes the working chamber 18.

  The rotor 20 is disposed in the housing cavity so as to be in sliding contact with the cover 38 and the wall 37, and seals the opening 36 using a ring seal 40. The rotor 20 has a radial socket 41 that has two round lips 42 in its opening so that the vanes 22 can slide within the radial socket 41. To engage with the vane 22. The lip 42 is always in contact with both sides of the vane 22 in a sealing fit. The vane 22 has a variable thickness to allow free movement of the rotor 20 while maintaining contact with both lips 42. Thus, the vane 22 and the socket 41 constitute a coupling portion that enables both sliding and swinging. The rotor 20 further includes a central socket 44 that faces the opening 36.

  The drive unit 14 has a rotating shaft 50 having an eccentric crank 52 with a bearing 54. When the pump 12 is attached to the drive unit 14, the crank 52 is received in the central socket 44 and the shaft 50 is coaxial with the cylindrical cavity of the housing 16.

  A radial geometric relationship among the diameters of the drive unit 14, the eccentric crank 52, the rotor 20, and the cylinder pump chamber 18 is as follows. That is, when the rotary shaft 50 rotates, the rotor 20 is scrolled via the crank 52. At this time, the rotor 20 scrolls the inner peripheral wall 28 while maintaining a state in contact with or close to the wall 28 in the scroll region 56. The rotor 20 is coupled to the housing 16 by a vane and a socket, and is bound to the vane 22 by a vane socket 41. Therefore, the rotor 20 is reciprocated in a parallel direction and oscillated in a lateral direction (circular motion) At the same time.

  During this orbiting movement, the rotor 20 and the housing 16 define two separate variable volumes, an expansion suction chamber 58 and a contraction discharge chamber 60. The expansion chamber 58 is defined between the inlet side of the vane 22, the portion of the peripheral wall 28 between the suction port 24 and the scroll region 56, and the adjacent portion of the rotor outer periphery. The contraction chamber 60 is defined between the outlet side of the vane 22, the remaining portion of the peripheral wall 28 between the discharge port 26 and the scroll region 56, and the remaining portion of the rotor outer periphery.

  When the eccentric crank 52 rotates counterclockwise (see FIG. 1), the scroll region 56 also moves counterclockwise and the expansion chamber 58 expands, whereby fluid is drawn or sucked from the inlet 30 through the inlet 24. Is done. At the same time, the contraction chamber 60 is reduced, and the fluid is discharged to the outlet 32 through the discharge port 26. In the position shown in FIG. 2, the scroll region 56 is in alignment with the vane 22, thus eliminating the contraction chamber 60, while the expansion chamber 58 has the maximum volume, after which the expansion chamber 58 is It begins to shrink and becomes a contraction chamber, and at the same time a “new” expansion chamber is born.

  In the position of FIG. 2, the rotor 20 comes into contact with the seal barrier 35, thereby blocking communication between the suction port 24 and the discharge port 26 around the rotor 20. The barrier 35 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and is therefore deflected by the rotor 20 when the rotor 20 scrolls in the vicinity of the barrier. If the barrier 35 is not present, when the rotor 20 is in the position shown, or when the scroll region 56 is aligned with or between the inlet 24 or outlet 26, the outlet 26 Of the pressurized fluid may flow around the rotor 20 and back into the suction port 24. This undesirable backflow is conventionally prevented by using a check valve at the outlet. The seal barrier 35 performs an equivalent function and prevents the backflow of fluid from the outlet 26 to the inlet 24 without the negative effects that the valve provides.

  Fluid backflow can also be prevented by a single seal barrier 35. In this case, the single barrier 35 needs to seal a slightly wider gap. For example, when the left barrier in FIG. 2 is removed, the remaining right barrier 35 seals the gap between the rotor 20 and the inner wall 28 until the scroll region 56 reaches the left position of the suction port 24. Need to be maintained.

  It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the function of blocking the reverse flow path from the discharge port 26 to the suction port 24 can be realized by a barrier appropriately disposed between the rotor 20 and the inner peripheral wall 28. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, barriers may be disposed at the suction port 24 and the discharge port 26 facing the outer periphery of the rotor. Alternatively, the labyrinth barrier 43 shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 2 may be formed as meshing teeth on the inner peripheral wall 28 and the outer periphery of the rotor.

  The bypass check valve 34 is optional. This is made of an elastic material such as rubber and bends according to the pressure difference, so that fluid flows from the inlet 30 to the outlet 32. Therefore, even when the fluid is not moved by the expansion chamber 58 and the contraction chamber 60, a continuous flow of the fluid can be maintained.

  In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the single vane pump 10 is shown assembled with a pulsating damper 64, which in this embodiment is an air reservoir (in this embodiment, having a fluid outlet 66). trapped air reservoir). The damper 64 absorbs and weakens pressure ripples or fluctuations resulting from the periodic characteristics of fluid movement in the single vane pump 10. The trapped air 68 expands and contracts in response to fluid pressure fluctuations at the outlet 32 and cooperates with the bypass valve 34 to provide flow rate and pressure stability and uniformity at the outlet 66 of the pumped fluid. Increase.

  FIG. 3 shows the pump 12 of the pump device 10 attached to the drive unit 14, the rotor 20 of which is coupled to an eccentric crank 52 via a bearing 54. The pump 12 is held at a predetermined position by a wing nut 70, and the wing nut 70 is manually screwed into a screw stud 72 fixed to the drive unit 14 and tightened. The drive unit 14 has a protrusion 74 that fits into the recess 76 of the housing 16 so that the pump 12 is secured to the drive unit 14 in an appropriate relationship.

  FIG. 4 shows the pump 12 removed from the drive unit 14 with its wing nut 70 removed from the screw stud 72. The cover 38 may be permanently attached to the housing 16 and may be a part of the pump 12 or may be provided separately from the housing 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 38 serves both as a cover for the housing 16 and as a retaining plate for holding the pump 12 that fits in the drive unit 14. As a means for manually attaching the pump to the drive unit, for example, there is a simple and quick means such as a bayonet lock or a threaded collar.

  The eccentric crank 52 has a tapered head 78 that facilitates insertion of the crank 52 into the socket 44 of the rotor 20. The diameter of the taper head 78 and the eccentricity of the crank 52 are such that the taper head 78 can enter the socket 44 when the pump 12 is attached to the drive unit 14 regardless of the arrangement of the socket 44 and the crank 52. Selected. For this purpose, the crank eccentricity is preferably less than ¼ of the crankhead diameter (assumed to be equal to the diameter of the socket 44).

  The rotary vane pump of the present invention is easily adapted for use as a disposable unit in the chemical, medical, and food industries where the pump must be frequently cleaned or replaced due to the cleanliness required for the process. Can do. To this end, the pump is made using a low cost material such as plastic that is suitable for use as a disposable unit. The joint structure with the vanes and sockets described above makes it possible to easily make a pump from the molding element. Therefore, the pump components that come into contact with the pumped medium are inexpensive and can be easily and quickly replaced by simple operations without the use of tools. A disposable pump unit advantageously includes all pump parts that are subject to severe wear or contamination, while a permanent drive unit including an eccentric crank with a bearing includes all costly components. Thus, the replacement of the disposable pump unit results in a complete pump device as new as to wear and cleanliness.

  The connection between the vane and the socket in the pump or motor of the present invention can be designed in various ways as shown in FIGS. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the vane 22 is flat, and the socket 41 is provided with a swivel jaw 82 that forms a swivel coupling at its opening. The swivel jaw 82 forms a uniform width passage that is fitted with the vane 22 so that the vane can slide across the swivel jaw 82 as the rotor 20 orbits.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the vane 22 may have an enlarged cylindrical tip 80, while the vane socket 41 allows the tip 80 to slide and the rotor 20 to swing. With parallel walls.

  While specific embodiments have been described, it will be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the vane 22 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 may be simplified to one having parallel walls if a high degree of fluid tightness is not required. Alternatively, the lip 42 may be made of an elastic material. As shown in FIG. 7, the lips may be integrally formed with one detail 82 having a seal barrier. FIGS. 8 and 9 show a vane 84 having a hinge 86 and a flexible vane 88 having a round socket inlet 90 as another possible embodiment of the present invention. Such a vane may be configured to slide only without swinging in the narrow socket 91 for the purpose of improving fluid tightness. Accordingly, the invention is limited only in terms of the appended claims.

  Although the performance of the pump embodiment has been described, the embodiment also realizes the function of the motor when the fluid pressure is applied to the suction port and the pressure of the discharge port is lower, and torque is applied to the rotor. As a result, rotation of the rotor occurs.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a single vane pump in which a pulsation damper and a bypass valve are combined according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the single vane pump of FIG. 1 having a rotor aligned near the fluid inlet and outlet. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the single vane pump of FIG. 1 showing the mounting and coupling of the pump to the drive unit and the eccentric drive member. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the single vane pump of FIG. 3 showing the removal and separation of the pump from the drive unit and the eccentric drive member. Sectional view of a single vane pump according to another embodiment of the invention Sectional view of a single vane pump according to another embodiment of the invention An enlarged view of an embodiment in which the lip of the socket and the seal barrier are integrally formed in one detail Hinged vanes of embodiments of the invention Flexible vane of an embodiment of the invention

Claims (25)

A housing having a cylindrical inner peripheral wall defining a cavity, and a rotor having a cylindrical outer periphery and a socket inside the outer periphery, the rotor being eccentrically disposed in the cavity, and The inner peripheral wall and the rotor outer periphery are configured to scroll in the vicinity of the inner peripheral wall, the inner peripheral wall and the rotor outer periphery define a working chamber between the inner peripheral wall and the rotor outer periphery, and the housing is accommodated in the socket A vane having an end that is adapted to allow the vane to slide through the socket while maintaining a predetermined fluid tightness between the vane and the socket, and wherein the rotor is Allowing the housing to circulate in the cavity, wherein the housing has an inlet adjacent to one side of the vane and a discharge adjacent to the other side of the vane. When have, both the inlet and the outlet is in fluid communication with said cavity via said inner peripheral wall, a rotating vane pump or motor,
The socket has an opening having a swivel jaw, the vane has a uniform thickness, is fixed to the housing, is received in the jaw, and forms a swivel joint, and the swivel connection A rotary vane pump or motor that enables sliding of the vane in the swivel coupling and swinging of the vane with the swivel coupling while maintaining the fluid tightness;   When the rotor is located between the outer periphery of the rotor and the inner peripheral wall and the rotor is on the inlet or the outlet or in a scroll aligned between the inlet and the outlet; The rotary vane pump or motor of claim 1, further comprising a seal barrier configured to prevent fluid communication between a mouth and the outlet.   The rotary vane pump or motor according to claim 2, wherein the seal barrier is disposed adjacent to one of the suction port and the discharge port.   The rotary vane pump or motor according to claim 3, wherein the second seal barrier is disposed adjacent to the other of the suction port and the discharge port.   The rotary vane pump or motor of claim 2, wherein the seal barrier is attached to the housing.   The rotary vane pump or motor of claim 2, wherein the seal barrier is attached to the rotor.   The rotary vane pump or motor of claim 2, wherein the seal barrier is made of an elastic material.   The rotary vane pump or motor according to claim 2, wherein the seal barrier is formed as meshing teeth on the inner peripheral wall and on the outer periphery of the rotor.   An inlet communicating with the inlet, an outlet communicating with the outlet, and a fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet are disposed between the inlet and the outlet so as to bypass the working chamber. The rotary vane pump according to claim 1, further comprising a bypass flow path having a check valve.   The rotary vane pump according to claim 9, wherein the bypass flow path is integrally formed with the housing.   The rotary vane pump according to claim 1, further comprising a pulsation damper connected to the discharge port.   The rotary vane pump according to claim 1, further comprising a drive unit that rotates the rotor by an eccentric drive member.   The pump according to claim 12, wherein the pump is detachable from the drive unit.   The pump of claim 13, wherein the pump and the drive unit are configured to engage the rotor and the eccentric drive member at the same time the pump is attached to the drive unit.   15. A pump according to claim 14, comprising attachment means for enabling said attachment by simple operation without tools.   The rotor has a concentric socket, and the eccentric drive member has an eccentric crank configured to be rotatably fitted to the concentric socket when a pump unit is attached to the drive unit, and the housing 15. The pump of claim 14, wherein the pump has an opening that allows the crank to enter the concentric socket.   The pump of claim 16, wherein the crank has a bearing permanently attached to the crank, by which the crank is rotatably fitted to the concentric socket.   The crank has a taper head, and has a diameter and an eccentricity so that the taper head can enter the concentric socket when installed irrespective of the arrangement of the concentric socket and the crank before the installation. Item 18. The pump according to Item 17.   The pump of claim 13, wherein the pump is made of a material suitable for use as a disposable unit. A rotary vane pump having a housing and a rotor, the housing being detachable from a drive unit configured to rotate the rotor by an eccentric drive member;
The drive unit and the pump are rotary vane pumps configured such that the rotor engages the eccentric drive member at the same time the housing is attached to the drive unit.   21. The rotary vane pump according to claim 20, wherein the pump further includes attachment means for performing the attachment by a simple operation without a tool.   The rotor has a concentric socket, and the eccentric drive member has an eccentric crank that is rotatably fitted to the concentric socket when the pump unit is attached to the drive unit and the engagement is obtained, 21. The pump of claim 20, wherein the housing has an opening that allows the crank to enter the concentric socket.   23. A pump according to claim 22, wherein the crank has a bearing permanently attached to the crank, by which the crank is rotatably fitted in the concentric socket.   The crank has a taper head, and the taper head has a diameter and a diameter such that the taper head can enter the concentric socket during the mounting regardless of the arrangement of the concentric socket and the crank before the mounting. 24. A pump according to claim 23, having an eccentricity.   21. A pump according to claim 20, wherein the pump is made of a material suitable for use as a disposable unit.

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