Swashplate arrangement for an axial piston pump
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorMichael P. May
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A variable displacement axial piston pump is typically used to receive fluid from a tank and supply pressurized fluid through a control valve to move an actuator. The present variable displacement axial piston pump has a swashplate arrangement that is capable of being angled in two different directions to control the pressure transitions between the low pressure inlet port passage and the higher pressure outlet port passage as cylinder bores in a barrel of a rotating group rotate through trapped volume regions situated between inlet and outlet port passages of the axial piston pump. Movement of the swashplate arrangement in two different directions provides smooth pressure transitions and increases the operating efficiency of the variable displacement axial piston pump.
Claims20
A variable displacement axial piston pump adapted for use in a fluid system, comprising:
- a housing having a body portion and a head portion with an inlet port passage and an outlet port passage;
- a rotating group disposed in the body portion and having an axis of rotation and including a barrel having a plurality of cylinder bores, a plurality of piston assemblies with each of the plurality of piston assemblies having a piston slideably disposed within one of the cylinder bores and a shoe pivotably attached to and extending from the piston, the rotating group being in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet port passages of the housing head portion;
- and
- a swashplate arrangement disposed in the body portion and being pivotable in a first arcuate direction relative to the axis of rotation of the barrel and pivotable in a second arcuate direction, the swashplate arrangement being pivotable in the second arcuate direction in response to various system parameters, wherein the swashplate mechanism includes a primary member and a secondary member that is pivotable relative to the primary member.
A method of controlling pressure transitions within a variable displacement axial piston pump between its inlet port passage and its outlet port passage, the method comprises:
- providing a rotating group having an axis of rotation;
- providing a swashplate arrangement pivotable in a first arcuate direction relative to the axis of rotation of the rotating group and pivotable in a second arcuate direction in response to various system parameters, wherein the swashplate mechanism includes a primary member and a secondary member that is pivotable relative to the primary member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.