Feed Unit

Abstract

A feed unit for a fuel pup includes a rotor eccentrically mounted in a pump chamber, and a plurality of grooves disposed on the periphery of the rotor. The grooves receive a plurality of sealing bodies which extend from within the grooves to an annular wall of the pump chamber embodied as a curved track. A gap is defined between the rotor and the curved track and is subdivided into gap spaces that are sealed from each other by the sealing bodies, which are configured as elastic spring elements.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . A feed unit for a fuel pump, comprising:
 a cylindrical pump chamber having an annular wall embodied as a curved track;   a rotor supported rotatably and eccentrically within the pump chamber;   a plurality of pockets disposed on a periphery of the rotor; and   a plurality of sealing bodies disposed within the pockets and extending from the pockets to the curved track of the rotor,   wherein the sealing bodies are embodied as elastic spring elements.   
   
   
       10 . The feed unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the spring elements are supported unilaterally inside the pockets of the rotor. 
   
   
       11 . The feed unit according to  claim 10 , wherein the pockets are embodied in groovelike form, with two lateral flanks and a groove base, and the spring elements are secured by a securing portion to one of the lateral flanks or to the groove base. 
   
   
       12 . The feed nit according to  claim 9 , wherein the spring element has a spring arm with a curved portion cooperating with the curved track. 
   
   
       13 . The feed unit according to  claim 11 , wherein by elastic bending the spring element can be resiliently pressed all the way into the associated pocket. 
   
   
       14 . The feed unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the elastic spring elements are leaf springs or spiral springs. 
   
   
       15 . The feed unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the elastic spring elements are each embodied as a spring assembly, comprising two leaf springs, joined solidly to one another at the ends, and are placed loosely in the pockets. 
   
   
       16 . The feed unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the spring elements are embodied integrally on the rotor.