Radial vane pump or motor with rolling chamber

Abstract

A radial vane pump or motor device includes a stationary housing provided with a cylinder supported for rotation relative to the housing about a central axis. A rotor is fixed to a shaft for rotation with the cylinder about an axis offset or eccentric relative to the central axis. A plurality of vanes slide radially in the rotor for contact with the inner surface of the cylinder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sliding vane pump or motor device, comprising:
 a housing;   a cylinder disposed within the housing and having a central cylinder axis A;   a shaft supported for rotation relative to the housing about a shaft axis B;   a rotor fixed for rotation with the shaft within the cylinder;   a plurality of radial vanes slideably supported by the rotor for engaging an inner wall of the cylinder;   the shaft axis B being offset relative to the cylinder axis A; and   wherein said cylinder is rotatable relative to both the housing and the rotor.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  including a rolling element bearing supporting the cylinder  16  for rotation relative to the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the rolling element bearing includes ball or roller elements. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  including a bearing having an outer race, an inner race and a plurality of rolling elements captured between the inner and outer races, and wherein the outer race is pressed into the housing and the inner race forms the rotatable cylinder whose inner surface is engaged by the vanes. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  including an adjustment screw supported by the housing and selectively acting on the outer race for displacing the bearing relative to the housing in a radial direction. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the cylinder is provided with a plurality of vents.