Vane Pump Assembly

Abstract

The vane pump assembly includes a housing with an inner wall that surrounds an open chamber. A rotor is rotatably disposed in the open chamber and has a circular shape when viewed in cross section. A first pair of vanes are received in the rotor and are operably connected with one another by a first bell crank which is pivotable about a pivot axis such that movement of one vane inwardly into the rotor causes the other vane to move outwardly out of the rotor to maintain both vanes in contact with the inner wall as the rotor rotates relative to the housing during operation of the vane pump assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vane pump assembly, comprising:
 a housing having an inner wall which surrounds an open chamber;   a rotor rotatably disposed in said open chamber of said housing, said rotor being circular in shape when viewed in cross-section; and   a first pair of vanes received in said rotor and being operably connected with one another by a first bell crank which is pivotable about a pivot axis such that movement of one vane inwardly into said rotor causes the other vane to move outwardly out of said rotor to maintain both vanes in contact with said inner wall as said rotor rotates relative to said housing during operation of said vane pump assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said bell crank includes a pair of resiliently deflectable arms which are made of a resiliently deflectable material such that said arms elastically deflect while said vanes move into and out of said rotor during operation of said vane pump assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said bell crank is made as a single piece. 
     
     
         4 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each of said arms has an end with a socket and wherein each of said vanes has a ball shaped end portion that is received in one of said sockets. 
     
     
         5 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 1  further including a second pair of vanes received in said rotor and wherein said second pair of vanes are operably connected with one another by a second bell crank. 
     
     
         6 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said vanes are uniformly spaced from one another around said rotor. 
     
     
         7 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said rotor presents a pair of slots on opposite sides of each of said vanes and wherein sealing elements are disposed in said slots for sealing said vanes with said rotor. 
     
     
         8 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 7  wherein a bearing block and a bearing pin are received in each of said slots with said bearing pins being rotatable relative to said bearing blocks such that said bearing pins roll in response to movement of the associated one of said vanes into and out of said rotor. 
     
     
         9 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 8  further including a leaf spring disposed in one of said slots associated with each of said vanes and biasing one of said bearing pins against the associated one of said vanes. 
     
     
         10 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein pins operably connect said vanes of said first pair of vanes with said first bell crank. 
     
     
         11 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 1  further including an end plate body which is secured with said housing. 
     
     
         12 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 11  further including a stabilizer plate which contacts and seals against an end face of said rotor. 
     
     
         13 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 12  further including a biasing mechanism for biasing said stabilizer plate against said end face of said rotor. 
     
     
         14 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said biasing mechanism includes a plurality of set screws which are moveable into and out of said end plate body. 
     
     
         15 . The vane pump assembly as set forth in  claim 14  wherein said biasing mechanism includes a plurality of springs between said set screws and said stabilizer plate.