Pump with rotor having arcuate slots and vanes

A rotary pump comprising:

• a shaft to rotate about a longitudinal axis;
• a rotor centrally secured to the shaft, the rotor having a body with spaced ends and a cylindrical surface extending between the spaced ends;
• a housing encasing the shaft and the rotor within an internal cavity, the housing having interior end walls and an interior sidewall, with fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports in the interior sidewall, a first section of the interior sidewall of the housing being cylindrical and curved with a constant radius over an angle of about approximately 180°, the first section being spaced a constant distance from confronting sections of the cylindrical surface of the rotor, and a second section of the interior sidewall of the housing extending between the extremities of the first section of the interior sidewall, the cylindrical surface of the rotor being proximal to the interior sidewall of the housing between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports about midway along the second section, the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports being located in the second section of the interior sidewall of the housing;
• at least two arcuate slots extending continuously into and through the rotor, wherein each of the slots is curved along a longitudinal slot axis;
• and
• at least two arcuate vanes, each of the vanes being shaped to be slidably seated in one of the slots, each of the vanes being movable in the corresponding slot between an extended position with the external edge of the vane adjacent the interior sidewall of the housing, and a retracted position wherein the external edge of the vane does not extend beyond the cylindrical surface of the rotor, each of the vanes being spaced from an adjacent vane about the rotor such that there is always at least one vane positioned between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports;
• wherein low pressure of the fluid at the fluid inlet port assists each of the vanes to retract and high pressure of the fluid at the fluid outlet port assists each of the vanes to extend.

A rotor for a pump, the rotor comprising:

• a rotor body with spaced ends and a rotor surface extending between the spaced ends;
• an arcuate slot extending continuously into and through the rotor body, wherein the slot is curved along a longitudinal slot axis;
• and
• an arcuate vane being shaped to be slidably seated in the slot, the vane being movable in the slot between an extended position with an external edge of the vane adjacent the interior sidewall of a housing, and a retracted position wherein the external edge of the vane does not extend beyond the rotor surface of the rotor body.