Alternating flow hydraulic pump circuit
AssigneeRegents of the University of Minnesota
InventorsJames D. Van de Ven, Eric J. Barth, Kim A. Stelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic pump assembly including a first pump, a second pump, a shaft, and fluid lines is disclosed. The first pump includes a first piston assembly. The second pump including a second piston assembly. Each piston assembly of the first and second pumps includes a cylinder and a piston slidably disposed in the cylinder. The shaft connects the first pump to the second pump and is configured to displace the pistons within the cylinders of the first and second piston assemblies. The fluid lines fluidly couple the first piston assembly with the second piston assembly to form paired piston assemblies. The first piston assembly is phase shifted from the second piston assembly.
Claims20
A hydraulic pump assembly, comprising:
- a first pump including a first piston assembly, wherein the first piston assembly includes a first cylinder and a first piston is slidably disposed in the first cylinder;
- a second pump including a second piston assembly, wherein the second piston assembly includes a second cylinder and a second piston is slidably disposed in the second cylinder;
- a shaft connecting the first pump to the second pump and configured to displace the first and second pistons within the first and second cylinders;
- and
- fluid lines to fluidly couple the first piston assembly with the second piston assembly to form paired piston assemblies,
- wherein the first piston assembly is phase shifted from the second piston assembly.
A hydraulic pump assembly, comprising:
- a first pump and a second pump each including:
- a piston assembly,
- a translating mechanism to selectively move a piston within a cylinder of the piston assembly, and
- a casing to house the translating mechanism and piston assembly;
- a shaft coupled to the first and second pumps, the shaft to jointly rotate the translating mechanisms;
- and
- a fluid line to fluidly couple the piston assemblies of the first and second pumps;
- wherein the pistons are movable by the translating mechanisms to transfer fluid flow between the fluidly coupled piston assemblies.
A method of operating a hydraulic pump assembly, comprising:
- supplying fluid to a first pump and a second pump mounted along a shaft, the first and second pumps each including a piston assembly, a translating mechanism to selectively move a piston within a cylinder of the piston assembly, and a casing to house the translating mechanism and piston assembly;
- rotating the translating mechanism s of the first and second pump;
- slidably moving the piston of the first pump within the cylinder in response to contacting the piston of the first pump with the translating mechanism;
- transferring fluid from the piston assembly of the first pump to the piston assembly of the second pump;
- slidably moving the piston of the second pump within the cylinder in response to contacting the piston of the first pump with the translating mechanism;
- and
- transferring fluid from the piston assembly of the second pump to the piston assembly of the first pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.