Single-vane rotary pump or motor

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.

1 . A rotary vane pump or motor comprising a housing with a cylindrical inner peripheral wall defining a cavity, a rotor with a cylindrical peripheral surface and a socket internal to said peripheral surface, said rotor being disposed eccentrically in said cavity and being adapted to scroll said inner peripheral wall in close proximity thereto, said inner peripheral wall and the rotor peripheral surface defining between them a working chamber, said housing having a vane with an end received in said socket so as to enable said vane to slide within said socket maintaining predetermined fluid tightness therebetween, and to enable said rotor to orbit within said cavity, said housing having an inlet port adjacent to one side of said vane and an outlet port adjacent to the other side of said vane, both ports being in fluid communication with said cavity via said inner peripheral wall.  
   
   
       2 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 1 , wherein said socket has parallel walls and the end of said vane received in said socket is cylindrical and matches the clearance between said parallel walls.  
   
   
       3 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 1 , wherein said vane is attached to said housing by a hinge.  
   
   
       4 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 1 , wherein said vane is flexible so as to bend when said rotor orbits within said housing.  
   
   
       5 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 4 , wherein said parallel walls conjoin said peripheral surface along a smooth curve allowing said vane to bend smoothly.  
   
   
       6 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 1 , wherein said vane is rigidly attached to said housing.  
   
   
       7 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 6 , wherein said socket has parallel walls, said vane has a cylindrical tip received in said socket and providing, in cooperation with said walls, said fluid tightness, said vane being thinner than said tip, such that said vane is able to rock within said socket.  
   
   
       8 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 6 , wherein said socket has an opening defined by two lips receiving said vane therebetween and providing therewith said fluid tightness, said socket further having a wider cavity behind said opening such that said vane is able to rock within said socket.  
   
   
       9 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 8 , wherein said vane has parallel walls providing, at variable angles of rocking, variable fluid tightness.  
   
   
       10 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 8 , wherein said vane has parallel walls while said protrusions are elastic, thereby providing, at variable angles of rocking, approximately uniform fluid tightness.  
   
   
       11 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 8 , wherein said vane has variable thickness along its length such that, at variable angles of rocking, approximately uniform fluid tightness is provided.  
   
   
       12 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 6 , wherein said socket has an opening with swivel jaws, said vane has uniform thickness, and said vane is received between said jaws so as to form a swivel joint allowing sliding of said vane through said joint and rocking of the vane together with said joint, while maintaining fluid tightness.  
   
   
       13 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sealing barrier disposed between said rotor surface and said inner peripheral wall and adapted to prevent fluid communication between said inlet port and said outlet port when said rotor is in scroll registration with said inlet port or said outlet port, or any point therebetween.  
   
   
       14 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 13 , wherein said sealing barrier is disposed adjacent to one of said inlet or outlet ports.  
   
   
       15 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 14 , wherein a second sealing barrier is disposed adjacent to the other of said inlet or outlet ports.  
   
   
       16 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 13 , wherein said sealing barrier is attached to said housing.  
   
   
       17 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 13 , wherein said sealing barrier is attached to said rotor.  
   
   
       18 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 13 , wherein said sealing barrier is made of elastic material.  
   
   
       19 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 13 , wherein said sealing barrier is formed as cooperating teeth on said inner peripheral wall and on said rotor peripheral surface.  
   
   
       20 . A rotary vane pump according to  claim 1 , further comprising a bypass channel with an inlet in communication with said inlet port, an outlet in communication with said outlet port, and a one-way valve disposed between said inlet and said outlet so as to allow fluid flow from said inlet to said outlet bypassing said pump chamber.  
   
   
       21 . The rotary vane pump according to  claim 19 , wherein said bypass channel is integral with said housing.  
   
   
       22 . A rotary vane pump according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pulsation damper connected to said outlet port.  
   
   
       23 . A rotary vane pump according to  claim 1 , in a pumping apparatus further comprising a drive unit adapted to rotate said rotor by means of an eccentric drive member.  
   
   
       24 . The pump according to  claim 23 , wherein said pump is attachable to and detachable from said drive unit.  
   
   
       25 . The pump according to  claim 24 , wherein said pump and said drive unit are constructed so that attaching said pump to said drive unit results in engagement of the rotor to the eccentric drive member.  
   
   
       26 . The pump according to  claim 25 , including attachment means allowing for said attaching by simple manipulation without tools.  
   
   
       27 . The pump according to  claim 25 , wherein said rotor has a concentric socket, said eccentric drive member comprises an eccentric crank adapted to fit rotatably into said concentric socket when said pump unit is attached to said drive unit thereby providing said engagement, and said housing has an opening allowing said crank to enter said concentric socket.  
   
   
       28 . The pump according to  claim 27 , wherein said crank comprises a bearing permanently affixed thereto, said bearing providing the rotatable fit of said crank to said concentric socket.  
   
   
       29 . The pump according to  claim 28 , wherein said crank has a tapered head and has such diameter and eccentricity that said tapered head can enter said concentric socket during said attaching irrespective of the alignment between said concentric socket and said crank before said attaching.  
   
   
       30 . The pump according to  claim 24 , wherein said pump is made of materials suitable for its usage as a disposable unit.  
   
   
       31 . The rotary vane pump or motor according to  claim 17 , wherein said socket has an opening defined by two lips receiving said vane therebetween, said socket further having a wider cavity behind said opening such that said vane is able to rock within said socket, said lips being made of elastic material formed so as to provide said fluid tightness between the vane and the socket and to constitute said sealing barrier.