Regenerative fuel pump with leakage prevent grooves

A pump comprising:

• a pump housing having an internal pump chamber;
• a fluid inlet to, and a fluid outlet from, the pumping chamber spaced arcuately apart about an axis;
• a pumping element that is disposed within the housing for rotation about the axis and has a vaned periphery that is operable within the pumping chamber to pump fluid from the inlet to the outlet when the pumping element is rotated;
• the pumping chamber being defined at least in part by a main channel extending within the housing arcuately about the axis to one axial side of the pumping element;
• the main channel having a radially outer margin that opens along at least a portion of the channel's arcuate extent to an adjoining contaminant collection channel which extends arcuately within the housing about the axis and which is effective, as the pumping element rotates, to collect certain fluid-entrained particulates expelled from the main channel and to convey such collected particulates to the outlet, the contaminant collection channel being arranged and constructed in relation to the main channel such that the presence of the contaminant collection channel in the pump creates no substantial range in pumping efficiency;
• and
• at least one leakage prevent groove located between said inlet and said outlet, said leakage prevent groove having a bottom surface shape selected from the group consisting of an elliptical bottom surface, a circular bottom surface and a flat bottom surface.

A pump comprising:

• a pump housing having an internal pump chamber;
• a fluid inlet to, and a fluid outlet from, the pumping chamber spaced arcuately apart about an axis;
• a pumping element that is disposed within the housing for rotation about the axis and has a vaned periphery that is operable within the pumping chamber to pump fluid from the inlet to the outlet when the pumping element is rotated;
• the pumping chamber being defined at least in part by a main channel extending within the housing arcuately about the axis to one axial side of the pumping element;
• the main channel having a radially outer margin that opens along at least a portion of the channel's arcuate extent to an adjoining contaminant collection channel which extends arcuately within the housing about the axis and which is effective, as the pumping element rotates, to collect certain fluid-entrained particulates expelled from the main channel and to convey such collected particulates to the outlet, the contaminant collection channel being arranged and constructed in relation to the main channel such that the presence of the contaminant collection channel in the pump creates no substantial change in pumping efficiency;
• and
• at least one leakage prevent groove located between said inlet and said outlet such that the distance between said leakage prevent groove and said inlet is approximately equal to the distance between said leakage prevent groove and said outlet.