US 5,178,522 AGranted

Method and apparatus for supplying oil to a vacuum pump

AssigneeLeybold Aktiengesellschaft

InventorsThomas Abelen, Lutz Arndt, Winfried Kaiser, Peter Muller, Dieter Vorberg

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Abstract

A two-stage rotary vane vacuum pump includes a pre-vacuum stage having a pre-vacuum pumping chamber and an outlet valve; a main oil sump; and a first oil conduit having a first opening communicating with the main oil sump and a second opening communicating with the pre-vacuum pumping chamber. The first opening is located at a level below an operational oil level in the main oil sump. There is further provided an intermediate oil sump situated at a level above the outlet valve and being arranged for receiving oil from the pre-vacuum pumping chamber; and a second oil conduit leading from the intermediate oil sump to components of the vacuum pump to be supplied with oil. All such components are situated at a level below the intermediate oil sump.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A two-stage rotary vane vacuum pump comprising

(a) means for defining a pre-vacuum stage including a pump rotor, a pre-vacuum pumping chamber and an outlet valve;
(b) means for defining a main oil sump;
(c) a first oil conduit having a first opening communicating with the main oil sump and a second opening communicating with said pre-vacuum pumping chamber;
said first opening being located at a level below an operational level of oil in said main oil sump;
(d) means defining an intermediate oil sump situated at a level above said outlet valve and arranged for receiving oil from said pre-vacuum pumping chamber;
(e) a second oil conduit leading from said intermediate oil sump to components of the vacuum pump to be supplied with oil;
said components being situated at a level below said intermediate oil sump;
(f) a motor having a motor shaft;
said motor being situated adjacent said pump rotor;
(g) a shield separating said motor from said pump rotor;
said shield having a throughgoing bore into which extend said rotor shaft and said motor shaft from opposite sides of the shield;
(h) shaft sealing rings supported in said shield and surrounding said rotor shaft and said motor shaft;
said shaft sealing rings together defining a lubricant chamber forming part of said throughgoing bore;
said second oil conduit extending above said lubricant chamber and being in communication therewith;
and
(i) coupling means disposed in said lubricant chamber for connecting said motor shaft with said rotor shaft;
said coupling means and said shaft sealing rings constituting at least some of said components of the vacuum pump.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.