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US 2016/0010643 A1Published application
Pumps
AssigneeQuantex Patents Limited
InventorRichard Paul HAYES-PANKHURST
Life of this patent
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AssigneeQuantex Patents Limited
InventorRichard Paul HAYES-PANKHURST
Estimating the term…
A pump is formed by a housing (10) having a fluid inlet (11) and a fluid outlet (12) and containing a rotor (15) forming with the housing (10) chambers (17a, 17b) that, on rotation of the rotor (15) by a drive, convey fluid from the inlet (11) to the outlet (12) to pump the fluid. A seal assembly (14) is arranged between the outlet (12) and the inlet (11). The seal assembly (14) includes a membrane (21) that contacts the rotor (15) and a flexible resilient spring member (22, 28, 35, 37, 40) that provides a force urging the membrane (21) against the rotor (15). The spring member (22, 28, 35, 37, 40) thus, on rotation of the rotor (15), moves radially relative to the axis of rotation of the rotor (15) and is arranged to provide a force on the rotor (15) via the membrane (21) that is constant and a minimum to maintain a seal between the rotor (15) and the seal (14) for a given outlet pressure of the pumped fluid.
A pump formed by a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and containing a rotor forming with the housing chambers that, on rotation of the rotor, convey fluid from the inlet to the outlet to pump the fluid to the outlet at an outlet pressure, a seal assembly being arranged between the outlet and the inlet and, on rotation of the rotor, moving radially relative to the axis of rotation of the rotor to contact the rotor to prevent fluid passing from the outlet to the inlet in the direction of rotation of the rotor, the force applied by the seal assembly per unit distance of movement being constant (as herein defined) over the travel of the seal assembly to minimise the force applied by the seal assembly to the rotor for a given output pressure.
A pump according to claim 18 wherein the spring member is a hollow tube.
A pump according to claim 19 wherein the location of the tube in the retainer compresses the tube to flex the tube so that the tube contacts the retainer along edges to fix said edges relative to the housing, an arcuate portion of the tube between said edges flexing to apply said force to the rotor.
9-10. (canceled)
A pump according to claim 19 wherein the tube is of D-shaped cross-section.
A pump according to claim 18 wherein the spring member is a generally U-section member or a member conformable into a U-section member.
A pump according to claim 25 wherein the U-section member has spaced arms interconnected by a base portion, the member being inserted in the retainer so that the arms are urged against the retainer to fix edges of the member are fixed relative to the retainer, the base portion of the member between said edges flexing to apply said force to the rotor.
A pump according to claim 18 wherein the spring member an arcuate member.
A pump according to claim 26 wherein the arcuate member has side edges that are fixed to the retainer.
A pump according to claim 24 wherein the spring member carries a rib extending along the member in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, the rib contacting the membrane to urge the membrane against the rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.