Floating cup pump assembly

Abstract

A pump assembly with a rotor adapted to rotate around a first axis and supporting outwardly projecting piston elements includes at least one drum plate adapted to rotate around a second axis in angled relation to the first axis. The drum plate supports outwardly projecting cup elements such that the cup elements mateably engage distal portions of corresponding piston elements. A curved surface support element is mounted in sliding relation along a rotatable shaft structure and operatively engages the drum plate. A biasing element urges the curved surface support element and drum plate away from the rotor.

1 . A pump assembly comprising:
 a rotor supporting a plurality of piston elements projecting away from said rotor, wherein said rotor is adapted to rotate around a first axis;   a drum plate supporting a plurality of cup elements, said plurality of cup elements being adapted to mateably engage distal portions of said piston elements such that said cup elements circumferentially surround said distal portions of said piston elements, said drum plate being adapted to rotate around a second axis in angled relation to said first axis;   a curved surface support element operatively engaging said drum plate, said curved surface support element being mounted in sliding relation along a rotatable shaft structure between said rotor and said drum plate; and   at least one biasing element disposed between said rotor and said curved surface support element urging said curved surface support element and said drum plate away from said rotor.   
   
   
       2 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said curved surface support element is non-integral with said rotatable shaft structure. 
   
   
       3 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said curved surface support element is disposed circumferentially around said rotatable shaft structure. 
   
   
       4 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said curved surface support element is held in non-rotatable relation relative to said rotatable shaft structure, such that rotation of said rotatable shaft structure is translated to said curved surface support element. 
   
   
       5 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said curved surface support element includes a convex exterior surface portion. 
   
   
       6 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said curved surface support element further includes at least one detent projecting radially away from said convex exterior surface portion, said at least one detent being adapted to operatively engage said drum plate such that rotation of said rotatable shaft structure is translated to said drum plate. 
   
   
       7 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said at least one detent is integral with said convex exterior surface portion. 
   
   
       8 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said convex exterior surface portion operatively engages an angled cheek portion of said drum plate. 
   
   
       9 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said curved surface support element includes an interior portion adapted to engage a cooperating splined surface of said rotatable shaft structure. 
   
   
       10 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said interior portion of said curved surface support element includes a pattern of grooves, and said cooperating splined surface of said rotatable shaft structure includes a pattern of ridges adapted to engage said grooves. 
   
   
       11 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said interior portion of said curved surface support element includes a pattern of ridges, and said cooperating splined surface of said rotatable shaft structure includes a pattern of grooves adapted to engage said ridges. 
   
   
       12 . A pump assembly comprising:
 a rotor supporting a first plurality of piston elements projecting away from a first side of said rotor and a second plurality of piston elements projecting away from a second side of said rotor, wherein said rotor is adapted to rotate around a first axis;   a first drum plate supporting a first plurality of cup elements, said first plurality of cup elements being adapted to mated engagement with distal portions of said first plurality of piston elements such that said first plurality of cup elements circumferentially surround said distal portions of said first plurality of piston elements, said first drum plate being adapted to rotate around a second axis in angled relation to said first axis;   a second drum plate supporting a second plurality of cup elements, said second plurality of cup elements being adapted for mated engagement with distal portions of said second plurality of piston elements such that said second plurality of cup elements circumferentially surround said distal portions of said second plurality of piston elements, said second drum plate being adapted to rotate around a third axis in angled relation to said first axis;   a first curved surface support element operatively engaging said first drum plate, said first curved surface support element being mounted in sliding relation along a first rotatable shaft structure between said rotor and said first drum plate;   a second curved surface support element operatively engaging said second drum plate, said second curved surface support element being mounted in sliding relation along a second rotatable shaft structure between said rotor and said second drum plate;   at least one biasing element disposed between said rotor and said first curved surface support element urging said first curved surface support element and said first drum plate away from said rotor; and   at least one biasing element disposed between said rotor and said second curved surface support element urging said second curved surface support element and said second drum plate away from said rotor.   
   
   
       13 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said first curved surface support element is non-integral with said first rotatable shaft structure and said second curved surface support element is non-integral with said second rotatable shaft structure. 
   
   
       14 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said first curved surface support element is disposed circumferentially around said first rotatable shaft structure and said second curved surface support element is disposed circumferentially around said second rotatable shaft structure, said first curved surface support element being held in non-rotatable relation relative to said first rotatable shaft structure such that rotation of said first rotatable shaft structure is translated to said first curved surface support element, and said second curved surface support element being held in non-rotatable relation relative to said second rotatable shaft structure such that rotation of said second rotatable shaft structure is translated to said second curved surface support element. 
   
   
       15 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said first curved surface support element includes a first convex exterior surface portion having at least one detent projecting radially away from said first convex exterior surface portion, said at least one detent being integral with said first convex exterior surface portion and adapted to operatively engage said first drum plate such that rotation of said first rotatable shaft structure is translated to said first drum plate, said second curved surface support element including a second convex exterior surface portion having at least one detent projecting radially away from said second convex exterior surface portion, said at least one detent being integral with said second convex exterior surface portion and adapted to operatively engage said second drum plate such that rotation of said second rotatable shaft structure is translated to said second drum plate. 
   
   
       16 . The pump assembly as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said first curved surface support element includes a first interior portion adapted to engage a cooperating splined surface of said first rotatable shaft structure and wherein said second curved surface support element includes a second interior portion adapted to engage a cooperating splined surface of said second rotatable shaft structure. 
   
   
       17 . A method of constructing a pump assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a rotor supporting a plurality of outwardly projecting piston elements;   providing at least one drum plate supporting a plurality of outwardly projecting cup elements;   orienting said rotor in angled relation relative to said at least one drum plate such that said cup elements mateably engage distal portions of corresponding piston elements and said cup elements circumferentially surround distal portions of said piston elements and such that said rotor is rotatable around a first axis and said drum plate is rotatable around a second axis in angled relation to said first axis;   providing a curved surface support element operatively engaging said at least one drum plate, said curved surface support element being mounted in sliding relation along a rotatable shaft structure; and   providing at least one biasing element between said rotor and said curved surface support element urging said curved surface support element and said at least one drum plate away from said rotor.   
   
   
       18 . The method of constructing a pump assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said curved surface support element is non-integral with said rotatable shaft structure. 
   
   
       19 . The method of constructing a pump assembly as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said curved surface support element is mounted circumferentially around said rotatable shaft structure, said curved surface support element being held in non-rotatable relation relative to said rotatable shaft structure such that rotation of said rotatable shaft structure is translated to said curved surface support element. 
   
   
       20 . The method of constructing a pump assembly as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said curved surface support element includes an interior portion engaging a cooperating splined surface of said rotatable shaft structure.