Vacuum Pump
OwnerNigel Paul Schofield, Peter Hugh Birchinventors
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Abstract
A dry pump comprises a stator housing a rotor assembly comprising intermeshing rotor components defining a running clearance with a surface of the stator, means for applying a transient magnetic force to at least one magnetic member of the rotor assembly to move the rotor components away from the stator surface and increase the size of the running clearance to reduce a frictional force applied to the rotor components by particulates accumulated within the running clearance, and means for moving the rotor components back towards the stator surface upon reduction of the magnetic force.
Claims25
A dry pump comprising a stator housing a rotor assembly comprising:
- intermeshing rotor components;
- and means for applying a transient magnetic force to at least one magnetic member of the rotor assembly to effect axial movement of the rotor components within the stator to vary at least one clearance between the rotor components and the stator.
A dry pump having a stator housing a rotor assembly comprising:
- intermeshing rotor components defining a running clearance with a surface of the stator;
- means for applying a transient magnetic force to at least one magnetic member of the rotor assembly to move the rotor components away from the stator surface and increase the size of the running clearance to reduce a frictional force applied to the rotor components by particulates accumulated within the running clearance;
- and means for moving the rotor components back towards the stator surface upon reduction of the magnetic force.
A vacuum pump comprising:
- a stator housing a rotor assembly defining a running clearance with a surface of the stator;
- means for applying a transient magnetic force to at least one magnetic member of the rotor assembly to move the rotor assembly away from the stator surface and increase the size of the running clearance to reduce a frictional force applied to the rotor assembly by particulates accumulated within the running clearance;
- and means for moving the rotor assembly back towards the stator surface upon reduction of the magnetic force.
(canceled)
A vacuum pump comprising:
- a stator housing a rotor assembly defining a running clearance with a surface of the stator;
- means for applying a magnetic force to at least one magnetic member of the rotor assembly for a period of time to heat the rotor assembly and increase the size of the running clearance to reduce a frictional force applied to the rotor assembly by particulates accumulated within the running clearance.
A method of starting a pump, the pump comprising a stator housing a rotor assembly defining a running clearance with a surface of the stator, the method comprising the steps of:
- applying a magnetic force to at least one magnetic member of the rotor assembly to heat the rotor assembly to increase the size of the running clearance and reduce a frictional force applied to the rotor assembly by particulates accumulated within the running clearance;
- and subsequently rotating the rotor assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.