Vane pump and method for the operation thereof

A vane cell pump (01) comprising a hollow-cylindrical contour ring (10) which is arranged between two side plates (11, 12) and which has an inner peripheral face (100) and a rotor (22) which is rotatably supported about a rotation axis (21) which extends parallel with the cylinder axis of the contour ring (10) and which has a plurality of conveying elements (20) which can be displaced radially relative to the rotation axis (21) and which are urged against the inner peripheral face (100) during a rotation of the rotor (22), wherein:

• the inner peripheral face (100) is formed in such a manner that a number corresponding to the number of flows of the vane cell pump (01) in respect of conveying chambers (03) which each form a pump portion (31, 32) are each constructed with an intake region (33) and a pressure region (34) which are passed through by the conveying elements (22) during a rotation of the rotor (22),
• within a pump portion (31, 32), the radial spacing between the rotation axis (21) and the inner peripheral face (100) increases when viewed in the working rotation direction (P) of the rotor (22) over the intake region (33) in order subsequently to decrease toward the end of the pressure region (34) again,
• a narrow location (30), during the passage through which the conveying elements (20) are displaced radially inward toward the rotation axis (21) to the greatest extent, is located between a pressure region (34) and a subsequent intake region (33) when viewed in the working rotation direction (P), and
• the rotor (22) has, radially inside the conveying elements (20), expulsion regions (200) which are at least partially connected to at least one pressure region (34) via a fluid path (35) in order to expel the conveying elements (20) against the inner peripheral face (100),
• characterized by an auxiliary start contour (04) which is arranged between the rotation axis (21) and the inner peripheral face (100) radially inside the conveying elements (20) in the region of at least one pump portion (31, 32) and which displaces the conveying element (20) by applying only a part-stroke into the pump portion (31, 32) as a result of a maximum of temporary contact with a conveying element (20) which is previously displaced at a narrow location (30) to the greatest extent radially inwardly toward the rotation axis (21).