Vane pump apparatus and leak check system having the same
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsTomohiro Itoh, Mitsuyuki Kobayashi, Shinji Sugihara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ECU determines whether condensed water is present at a rotor and vanes based on an electric current, which flows in an electric motor that drives the rotor. When the condensed water is determined to be present, the ECU drives the motor for a predetermined time period. When the condensed water is determined to be absent, the ECU stores a pressure, which is sensed through a pressure sensor, as a first pressure. The ECU is adapted to sense an abnormality in a pump characteristic based on a value of the first pressure.
Claims12
A vane pump apparatus, which is adapted to depressurize or pressurize gas, the vane pump apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a rotor that is rotatably received in and is eccentric to the housing;
- an electric motor that drives the rotor upon energization of the electric motor;
- at least one vane that is received in the rotor in a manner that enables radial reciprocation of the at least one vane relative to the rotor, wherein a radially outer end part of the at least one vane is adapted to slide along an inner peripheral wall of the housing when the rotor is rotated by the electric motor;
- a pressure sensor that senses a pressure of the gas, which is depressurized or pressurized by the rotation of the rotor and the at least one vane;
- and
- means for controlling the rotation of the electric motor, wherein:
- the controlling means determines whether condensed water is present at the rotor and the at least one vane based only on an electric current, which flows in the electric motor upon driving of the electric motor;
- when the controlling means determines that the condensed water is present at the rotor and the at least one vane, the controlling means drives the electric motor for a predetermined time period;
- when the controlling means determines that the condensed water is absent at the rotor and the at least one vane, the controlling means stores the pressure, which is sensed through the pressure sensor after the determining of the absence of the condensed water at the rotor and the at least one vane, as a first pressure;
- and
- the controlling means is adapted to sense an abnormality in a pump characteristic of the vane pump apparatus based on a value of the first pressure.
A vane pump apparatus, which is adapted to depressurize or pressurize gas, the vane pump apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a rotor that is rotatably received in and is eccentric to the housing;
- an electric motor configured to drive the rotor upon energization of the electric motor;
- at least one vane that is received in the rotor in a manner to enable radial reciprocation of the at least one vane relative to the rotor, wherein a radially outer end part of the at least one vane is adapted to slide along an inner peripheral wall of the housing when the rotor is rotated by the electric motor;
- a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure of the gas, which is depressurized or pressurized by the rotation of the rotor and the at least one vane;
- and
- a control device configured to control the rotation of the electric motor, wherein:
- the control device configured to determine whether condensed water is present at the rotor and the at least one vane based only on an electric current, which flows in the electric motor upon driving of the electric motor;
- when the control device determines that the condensed water is present at the rotor and the at least one vane, the control device configured to drive the electric motor for a predetermined time period;
- when the control device determines that the condensed water is absent at the rotor and the at least one vane, the control device is configured to store the pressure, which is sensed through the pressure sensor after the determining of the absence of the condensed water at the rotor and the at least one vane, as a first pressure;
- and
- the control device is configured to sense an abnormality in a pump characteristic of the vane pump apparatus based on a value of the first pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.