# US 7,607,907 B2 · Roller vane pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,607,907 B2 - Document ID: US7607907B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/940,546 - Filed: 2004-09-14 - Published: 2005-06-02 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2003-09-22 - Assignees: WOP Industrias E Comercio De Bombas Ltda. - Inventors: Adrian Comillus Shorten; Christopher J. McCrindle; Brian Eric Knell; Stephen Gates - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607907B2 ## CPC - F01C 21/0827: {by mechanical means} - F04C 2/3445: {the vanes having the form of rollers, slippers or the like} - F01C: ROTARY-PISTON OR OSCILLATING-PISTON MACHINES OR ENGINES (internal-combustion aspects F02B53/00, F02B55/00) - F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS ## Abstract A roller vane pump for fluid includes 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 to move inwardly and outwardly in use, the housing surrounding the carrier, pumping chambers being formed between the rollers, the carrier and the housing, the rollers 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 rollers are received, there is provided a restrictor element which restricts movement of the roller inwardly of its respective slot. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A roller vane pump for fluid, the 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 the 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 inwardly of its respective slot, each restrictor element occupying part only of an axial depth of its respective slot such that each restrictor element has a width substantially equal to the diameter of its respective roller vane 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A pump according to claim 1 wherein each restrictor element prevents its respective roller vane moving inwardly of its slot to a position at which the roller vane would otherwise be capable of disengaging the housing as the carrier rotates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A pump according to claim 1 wherein each slot includes a wider region in which the roller vane is moveable inwardly and outwardly of the carrier, and a narrowed region towards the bottom of the slot, and the respective restrictor element is provided at or adjacent a position where the wider and narrower regions meet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A pump according to claim 1 wherein the roller vane pump is a variable displacement pump. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A pump according to claim 4 wherein the housing of the pump includes a moveable cam with which the roller vanes engage as the carrier rotates, the cam being moveable relative to the carrier about a pivot axis which is generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the carrier to vary the displacement of the pump, there being a resilient biasing device to bias the cam in one direction about the pivot axis, and the housing including a passage which communicates with the outlet of the pump and communicates the outlet pressure of the pumped fuel from the outlet to act on the cam to oppose the biasing force of the resilient biasing device so that the pump displacement varies depending upon the pump outlet pressure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A pump according to claim 1 wherein the pump is mechanically driven, the carrier in use, being mechanically connected to a drive shaft of a transmission. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A pump according to claim 1 which is for pumping lubricating oil. ### Claim 8 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A system according to claim 8 wherein the pumping system pumps fuel to one of a high pressure pump and an injector pump of the fuel injection apparatus by means of which the fuel is further pressurized to a pressure at which the fuel is to be injected into the engine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A system according to claim 8 wherein in the fuel line between the pump and the fuel injection apparatus, there is provided a regulator valve to limit the pressurization of the fuel by the pump. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A system according to claim 10 wherein the regulator valve vents excess fuel to the inlet side of the line from the reservoir, or back to the reservoir. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A system according to claim 10 wherein the pump is a fixed displacement pump. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The roller vane pump of claim 13, further comprising: each slot having a first axial depth; and the restrictor elements having a second axial depth, wherein the second axial depth is smaller than the first axial depth. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The roller vane pump of claim 14, 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The roller vane pump of claim 13, further comprising: each restrictor element extending across the entire span of its respective slot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The roller vane pump of claim 13, wherein the restrictor elements are fabricated from a resilient plastic material. ### Claim 18 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. ### Claim 19 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.