Vane pump with improved seal assembly for control chamber

A vehicle comprising:

• a device that receives lubricant:
• a lubricant sump for containing a supply of the lubricant;
• and
• a vane pump comprising:
• a housing having an inlet communicated to the lubricant sump and an outlet communicated to the device;
• a control slide having a rotor receiving space communicated to the inlet and the outlet, the control slide being mounted in the housing for pivotal movement in opposing displacement increasing and displacement decreasing directions;
• a rotor comprising a plurality of vanes, the rotor mounted to the housing and positioned within the rotor receiving space of the control slide, the rotor being rotatable in the rotor receiving space to draw the lubricant under negative pressure into the rotor receiving space via the inlet and discharge the lubricant from the rotor receiving space via the outlet under positive pressure,
• wherein movement of the control slide in the displacement increasing direction increases eccentricity between the rotor and the control slide for increasing a pressure differential between the inlet and outlet and movement of the control slide in the displacement decreasing direction decreases the eccentricity for decreasing the pressure differential;
• a resilient structure positioned between the housing and the control slide to bias
• the control slide in the displacement increasing direction;
• the control slide having one or more seals defining a control chamber between the control slide and the housing, the control chamber being communicated with a source of pressurized said lubricant to move the control slide in the displacement decreasing direction;
• the one or more seals including a seal assembly received in a recess formed in an outer surface of the control slide, the seal assembly having a base element received in the recess and a bearing element pivotally attached to the base element and bearing against an inner surface of the housing to provide sealing for the control chamber as the control slide moves in the displacement increasing and decreasing directions;
• wherein one of the base element and the bearing element has a male pivotal connector and the other of the base element and the bearing element has a female pivotal connector, the male and the female pivotal connectors being coupled together,
• wherein the female pivotal connector is defined by bore with a slot narrower than the bore, and male pivotal connector is defined by a head attached by a neck narrower than the head, the head being pivotally received in the bore with the neck extending through the slot.

A vane pump comprising:

• a housing having an inlet and an outlet;
• a control slide having a rotor receiving space communicated to the inlet and the outlet, the control slide being mounted in the housing for pivotal movement in opposing displacement increasing and displacement decreasing directions;
• a rotor comprising a plurality of vanes, the rotor mounted to the housing and positioned within the rotor receiving space of the control slide, the rotor being rotatable in the rotor receiving space to draw lubricant under negative pressure into the rotor receiving space via the inlet and discharge the lubricant from the rotor receiving space via the outlet under positive pressure,
• wherein movement of the control slide in the displacement increasing direction increases eccentricity between the rotor and the control slide for increasing a pressure differential between the inlet and outlet and movement of the control slide in the displacement decreasing direction decreases the eccentricity for decreasing the pressure differential;
• a resilient structure positioned between the housing and the control slide to bias the control slide in the displacement increasing direction;
• the control slide having one or more seals defining a control chamber between the control slide and the housing, the control chamber being communicated with a source of pressurized said lubricant to move the control slide in the displacement decreasing direction;
• the one or more seals including a seal assembly received in a recess formed in an outer surface of the control slide, the seal assembly having a base element received in the recess and a bearing element pivotally attached to the base element and bearing against an inner surface of the housing to provide sealing for the control chamber as the control slide moves in the displacement increasing and decreasing directions;
• wherein one of the base element and the bearing element has a male pivotal connector and the other of the base element and the bearing element has a female pivotal connector, the male and the female pivotal connectors being coupled together,
• wherein the base element of the seal assembly has the male pivotal connector and the bearing element of the seal assembly has the female pivotal connector,
• wherein the female pivotal connector is defined by bore with a slot narrower than the bore, and male pivotal connector is defined by a head attached by a neck narrower than the head, the head being pivotally received in the bore with the neck extending through the slot.

A vehicle comprising:

• a device that receives lubricant:
• a lubricant sump for containing a supply of the lubricant;
• and
• a vane pump comprising:
• a housing having an inlet communicated to the lubricant sump and an outlet communicated to the device;
• a control slide having a rotor receiving space communicated to the inlet and the outlet, the control slide being mounted in the housing for pivotal movement in opposing displacement increasing and displacement decreasing directions;
• a rotor comprising a plurality of vanes, the rotor mounted to the housing and positioned within the rotor receiving space of the control slide, the rotor being rotatable in the rotor receiving space to draw the lubricant under negative pressure into the rotor receiving space via the inlet and discharge the lubricant from the rotor receiving space via the outlet under positive pressure,
• wherein movement of the control slide in the displacement increasing direction increases eccentricity between the rotor and the control slide for increasing a pressure differential between the inlet and outlet and movement of the control slide in the displacement decreasing direction decreases the eccentricity for decreasing the pressure differential;
• a resilient structure positioned between the housing and the control slide to bias the control slide in the displacement increasing direction;
• the control slide having one or more seals defining a control chamber between the control slide and the housing, the control chamber being communicated with a source of pressurized said lubricant to move the control slide in the displacement decreasing direction;
• the one or more seals including a seal assembly received in a recess formed in an outer surface of the control slide, the seal assembly having a base element received in the recess and a bearing element pivotally attached to the base element and bearing against an inner surface of the housing to provide sealing for the control chamber as the control slide moves in the displacement increasing and decreasing directions;
• wherein one of the base element and the bearing element has a male pivotal connector and the other of the base element and the bearing element has a female pivotal connector, the male and the female pivotal connectors being coupled together,
• wherein the base element of the seal assembly has the male pivotal connector and the bearing element of the seal assembly has the female pivotal connector,
• wherein the female pivotal connector is defined by bore with a slot narrower than the bore, and male pivotal connector is defined by a head attached by a neck narrower than the head, the head being pivotally received in the bore with the neck extending through the slot.