Roller vane pump

A pumping system for pumping fuel from a reservoir to a fuel injection apparatus for an engine to raise the fuel pressure prior to its further pressurization in the fuel injection apparatus, the system including a pump in a line between the reservoir and the fuel injection system, and wherein the pump is a roller vane pump including a carrier which is rotatable in a housing about an axis of rotation, the carrier carrying a plurality of roller vanes which are each received in a respective slot which extends inwardly of a periphery of the carrier and permits the roller vane to move inwardly and outwardly in use, the housing surrounding the carrier, pumping chambers being formed between the roller vanes, the carrier and the housing, the roller vanes engaging with the housing and moving inwardly and outwardly of their respective slots as the carrier rotates, in response to the configuration of the housing so that the pumping chambers change in volume as the carrier rotates, to effect pumping of the fluid, from an inlet to an outlet of the pump, and wherein in each of the slots in which the roller vanes are received, there is provided a restrictor element which restricts movement of the roller vane inwardly of its respective slot, the restrictor elements each being provided integrally with the remainder of the carrier, and the carrier and the integral restrictor elements being made from a material which exhibits some resilience, each restrictor element biasing its respective roller vane into engagement with the housing during carrier rotation, at least when the roller vane has been moved inwardly of its respective slot into co-operation with the restrictor element, and each restrictor element occupying part only of an axial depth of its respective slot and extending across the entire span of its respective slot, so that a space is always preserved between the bottom of the slot and its respective roller vane.

A roller vane pump for fluid, comprising:

• a carrier having a plurality of slots that extend from a periphery of the carrier to a bottom of each slot;
• a plurality of roller vanes disposed within respective slots of the plurality of slots;
• a plurality of restrictor elements rigidly connected to the carrier, each restrictor element extending into a respective slot of the plurality of slots to an intermediate location between the periphery of the carrier and the bottom of each slot, wherein the restrictor elements are engageable with the roller vanes to space the roller vanes from the bottoms of the slots;
• each slot defined by a pair of opposed walls that extend from the periphery of the carrier to the bottom of the slot;
• and
• each restrictor element rigidly connected to and extending completely between the opposed walls of its respective slot.

A roller vane pump for fluid comprising:

• a carrier having a plurality of slots that extend from a periphery of the carrier to a bottom of each slot;
• a plurality of roller vanes disposed within respective slots of the plurality of slots;
• a plurality of restrictor elements rigidly connected to the carrier, each restrictor element extending into a respective slot of the plurality of slots to an intermediate location between the periphery of the carrier and the bottom of each slot, wherein the restrictor elements are engageable with the roller vanes to space the roller vanes from the bottoms of the slots;
• each slot having a first axial depth;
• the restrictor elements having a second axial depth, wherein the second axial depth is smaller than the first axial depth, wherein a top axial surface of each restrictor element is axially spaced from a top axial surface of the carrier and a bottom axial surface of each restrictor element is axially spaced from a bottom axial surface of the carrier;
• and
• each restrictor element having a leading edge that is spaced from the periphery of the carrier and a trailing edge that is spaced from the bottom of its respective slot.

A roller vane pump for comprising:

• a carrier having a plurality of slots that extend from a periphery of the carrier to a bottom of each slot;
• a plurality of roller vanes disposed within respective slots of the plurality of slots;
• a plurality of restrictor elements rigidly connected to the carrier, each restrictor element extending into a respective slot of the plurality of slots to an intermediate location between the periphery of the carrier and the bottom of each slot, wherein the restrictor elements are engageable with the roller vanes to space the roller vanes from the bottoms of the slots;
• each slot defined by a pair of opposed walls that extend from the periphery of the carrier to the bottom of the slot;
• each restrictor element rigidly connected to and extending completely between the opposed walls of its respective slot;
• and
• each restrictor element having a substantially arcuate leading edge, such that the leading edge of each restrictor element is closer to the bottom of its respective slot at a center point along the restrictor element than adjacent at a point adjacent to the opposed walls of its respective slot.