Pump with rotor having arcuate slots and vanes

Abstract

A pump includes a shaft to rotate about a longitudinal axis, a rotor, at least two arcuate slots extending continuously into and through the rotor, wherein each of the slots is curved along a longitudinal slot axis, and at least two arcuate vanes, each of the vanes being shaped to be slidably seated in one of the slots, each of the vanes being movable in the corresponding slot between an extended position with the external edge of the vane adjacent the interior sidewall of the housing, and a retracted position wherein the external edge of the vane does not extend beyond the cylindrical surface of the rotor. Each of the vanes is spaced from an adjacent vane about the rotor such that there is always at least one vane positioned between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports.

1 . A rotary pump comprising:
 a shaft to rotate about a longitudinal axis;   a rotor centrally secured to the shaft, the rotor having a body with spaced ends and a cylindrical surface extending between the spaced ends;   a rotor disk secured to each end of the rotor and secured at a centre of the rotor disk to the shaft;   a housing encasing the shaft, the rotor disks, and the rotor within an internal cavity, the housing having interior end walls and an interior sidewall, with fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports in the interior sidewall, a first section of the interior sidewall of the housing being cylindrical and curved with a constant radius over an angle of about approximately 180°, the first section being spaced a constant distance from confronting sections of the cylindrical surface of the rotor, and a second section of the interior sidewall of the housing extending between the extremities of the first section of the interior sidewall, the cylindrical surface of the rotor being proximal to the interior sidewall of the housing between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports about midway along the second section, the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports being located in the second section of the interior sidewall of the housing;   at least two arcuate slots extending continuously into and through the rotor, wherein each of the slots is curved along a longitudinal slot axis; and   at least two arcuate vanes, each of the vanes being shaped to be slidably seated in one of the slots, each of the vanes being movable in the corresponding slot between an extended position with the external edge of the vane adjacent the interior sidewall of the housing, and a retracted position wherein the external edge of the vane does not extend beyond the cylindrical surface of the rotor, each of the vanes being spaced from an adjacent vane about the rotor such that there is always at least one vane positioned between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports;   wherein each of the vanes includes shoulder portions extending beyond the ends of the rotor;   wherein the rotor disks include grooves aligned with the rotor slots and being configured for slidably receiving the shoulder portions of the vanes; and   wherein low pressure of the fluid at the fluid inlet port assists each of the vanes to retract and high pressure of the fluid at the fluid outlet port assists each of the vanes to extend.   
     
     
         2 . The rotary pump according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the vanes includes an arcuate body portion conforming to the shape of the slot and a tip portion extending from the arcuate body portion. 
     
     
         3 . The rotary pump according to  claim 2 , wherein the tip portion is hingedly attached to the arcuate body portion to ride on the interior sidewall of the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The rotary pump according to  claim 2 , wherein the body of the rotor includes peripheral cutout portions shaped to receive the tip portions of the vanes when the vanes are in the retracted position. 
     
     
         5 . The rotary pump according to  claim 2 , wherein the tip portions include magnetic components and the rotor body includes magnetic components of similar polarity to repel the tip portion from the rotor body. 
     
     
         6 . The rotary pump according to  claim 5 , wherein the magnetic components of the rotor are located in the peripheral cutout portion. 
     
     
         7 . The rotary pump according to  claim 2 , wherein the tip portion has a triangular profile. 
     
     
         8 . The rotary pump according to  claim 2 , wherein the arcuate body portion includes an external hinge and the tip portion includes an arcuate surface and a flat surface. 
     
     
         9 . The rotary pump according to  claim 2 , wherein the tip portion includes magnetic components and the arcuate body portion includes magnetic components of similar polarity to repel the tip portion from the arcuate body portion. 
     
     
         10 . The rotary pump according to  claim 1  further comprising a shock absorber placed in the grooves to prevent the vanes from impacting the ends of the grooves during the retraction of the vanes. 
     
     
         11 . The rotary pump according to  claim 1 , wherein the second section of the interior surface includes an outlet section that causes the vane to retract. 
     
     
         12 . The rotary pump according to  claim 1 , wherein the arcuate slots are diametrically opposed such that a distal vane end of the first arcuate slot is opposite on the rotor to a distal vane end of the second arcuate slot. 
     
     
         13 . The rotary pump according to  claim 1 , wherein the arcuate slots do not pass through the centre of axis of rotation of the rotor. 
     
     
         14 . The rotary pump according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing and the vanes are constructed so that, during operation of the rotary piston, fluid entering the housing through the inlet port is carried by the rotor, in each of compartments formed between adjacent vanes, the rotor surface between the vanes and the corresponding sections of the end walls and interior sidewall of the housing, until the adjacent vanes encompass the outlet port whereby the fluid is allowed to leave the housing. 
     
     
         15 . A rotary pump comprising:
 a shaft to rotate about a longitudinal axis;   a rotor centrally secured to the shaft, the rotor having a body with spaced ends and a cylindrical surface extending between the spaced ends;   a housing encasing the shaft and the rotor within an internal cavity, the housing having interior end walls and an interior sidewall, with fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports in the interior sidewall, a first section of the interior sidewall of the housing being cylindrical and curved with a constant radius over an angle of about approximately 180°, the first section being spaced a constant distance from confronting sections of the cylindrical surface of the rotor, and a second section of the interior sidewall of the housing extending between the extremities of the first section of the interior sidewall, the cylindrical surface of the rotor being proximal to the interior sidewall of the housing between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports about midway along the second section, the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports being located in the second section of the interior sidewall of the housing;   at least two arcuate slots extending continuously into and through the rotor, wherein each of the slots is curved along a longitudinal slot axis; and   at least two arcuate vanes, each of the vanes being shaped to be slidably seated in one of the slots, each of the vanes being movable in the corresponding slot between an extended position with the external edge of the vane adjacent the interior sidewall of the housing, and a retracted position wherein the external edge of the vane does not extend beyond the cylindrical surface of the rotor, each of the vanes being spaced from an adjacent vane about the rotor such that there is always at least one vane positioned between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports;   wherein low pressure of the fluid at the fluid inlet port assists each of the vanes to retract and high pressure of the fluid at the fluid outlet port assists each of the vanes to extend.   
     
     
         16 . A rotor for a pump, the rotor comprising:
 a rotor body with spaced ends and a rotor surface extending between the spaced ends;   an arcuate slot extending continuously into and through the rotor body, wherein the slot is curved along a longitudinal slot axis; and   an arcuate vane being shaped to be slidably seated in the slot, the vane being movable in the slot between an extended position with an external edge of the vane adjacent the interior sidewall of a housing, and a retracted position wherein the external edge of the vane does not extend beyond the rotor surface of the rotor body.   
     
     
         17 . The rotor of  claim 16 , wherein the rotor body includes two arcuate slots and the rotor includes two arcuate vanes. 
     
     
         18 . The rotor of  claim 16  wherein the arcuate slot is curved along a longitudinal slot axis that is parallel with a rotator rotation axis of the rotor. 
     
     
         19 . The rotor of  claim 16  wherein the vane is fluidly sealed in the arcuate slot such that fluid is inhibited from passing through or around the vane in the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         20 . The rotor of  claim 16 , wherein the arcuate vane includes an arcuate body portion conforming to the shape of the slot and a tip portion extending from the arcuate body portion.