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 . Apparatus comprising a rotary vane pump or motor and a drive unit, said 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 sealingly mounted with respect to said housing and 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, wherein said socket has an opening with swivel jaws, said vane has uniform thickness, is rigidly attached to said housing, and 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 said fluid tightness, said drive unit adapted to rotate said rotor by means of an eccentric drive member, wherein said pump is configured for providing direct engagement to and disengagement from said drive unit, and including attachment means allowing for said direct engagement by simple manipulation.  
   
   
       2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said pump and said drive unit are constructed so that direct engagement of said housing to said drive unit results in simultaneous engagement of the rotor to the eccentric drive member.  
   
   
       3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said attachment means allow for said direct engagement by simple manipulation without tools.  
   
   
       4 . Apparatus according to  claim 2 , 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 directly engaged to said drive unit thereby providing said engagement of the rotor to the eccentric drive member, and said housing has an opening allowing said crank to enter said concentric socket.  
   
   
       5 . Apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said crank comprises a bearing permanently affixed thereto, said bearing providing the rotatable fit of said crank to said concentric socket.  
   
   
       6 . Apparatus according to  claim 5 , 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.  
   
   
       7 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said pump is made of materials suitable for its usage as a disposable unit.  
   
   
       8 . A rotary vane apparatus comprising a drive unit and a rotary vane pump comprising a housing accommodating a rotor, said housing being adapted for enabling direct engagement and disengagement of said pump with respect to said drive unit, said drive unit being adapted to rotate said rotor by means of an eccentric drive member, wherein said drive unit and said pump are constructed so that directly engaging said housing to said drive unit results in simultaneous engagement of the rotor to the eccentric drive member, irrespective of the alignment between the rotor and the eccentric drive member.  
   
   
       9 . A rotary vane pump according to  claim 8 , wherein said pump further includes attachment means allowing for said direct engagement by simple manipulation without tools.  
   
   
       10 . The pump according to  claim 8 , 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 directly engaged to said drive unit thereby providing said engagement of the rotor to the eccentric drive member, and said housing has an opening allowing said crank to enter said concentric socket.  
   
   
       11 . The pump according to  claim 10 , wherein said crank comprises a bearing permanently affixed thereto, said bearing providing the rotatable fit of said crank to said concentric socket concentric socket  
   
   
       12 . The pump according to  claim 11 , wherein said crank has a tapered head and has such diameter and eccentricity that said tapered head can enter said concentric socket during said direct engagement of the housing to the drive unit irrespective of the alignment between said concentric socket and said crank before said direct engagement.  
   
   
       13 . The pump according to  claim 8 , wherein said pump is made of materials suitable for its usage as a disposable unit.  
   
   
       14 . Apparatus comprising rotary vane pump or motor and a drive unit, said rotary vane pump or motor comprising a housing including a rotor and a vane, said rotary vane pump or motor being adapted for enabling direct engagement to and disengagement from said drive unit that is adapted to rotate said rotor when said rotary vane pump or motor is direct engagement to said drive unit, and including attachment means allowing for said direct engagement by simple manipulation without tools.  
   
   
       15 . Apparatus according to  claim 14 , said housing comprising a cylindrical inner peripheral wall defining a cavity, said rotor comprising 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 said 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.  
   
   
       16 . Apparatus according to  claim 14 , said drive unit being adapted to rotate said rotor by means of an eccentric drive member.  
   
   
       17 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said rotary vane pump or motor and said drive unit are constructed so that directly engaging said rotary vane pump or motor to said drive unit results in simultaneous engagement of the rotor to the eccentric drive member.  
   
   
       18 . Apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said rotary vane pump or motor is made of materials suitable for its usage as a disposable unit.  
   
   
       19 . Apparatus according to  claim 14 , 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 rotary vane pump or motor is directly engaged to said drive unit thereby providing said engagement of the rotor to the eccentric drive member, and said housing has an opening allowing said crank to enter said concentric socket.  
   
   
       20 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein said crank comprises a bearing permanently affixed thereto, said bearing providing the rotatable fit of said crank to said concentric socket.  
   
   
       21 . Apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein said crank has a tapered, head and has such diameter and eccentricity that said tapered head can enter said concentric socket during said direct engagement irrespective of the alignment between said concentric socket and said crank prior to said direct engagement between the housing and the drive unit.