Pump and/or compressor arrangement including mating, oscillatable vane members for the simultaneous admission and discharge of fluid

An assembly for translating rotational motion of an input shaft having an axis of rotation into opposed rotational oscillatory motion of first and second members disposed along said axis of rotation, or vice versa, the assembly including:

• a first swing arm disposed forwardly of said first members and a second swing arm disposed rearwardly of said second member, wherein each of the first swing arm, second swing arm, first member and second member includes a co-axial opening for accommodating the input shaft, and each swing arm is pivotable about a common pivot axis disposed a spaced distance from the input shaft axis of rotation;
• eccentric cams associated with the input shaft and arranged such that each eccentric cam contacts an internal edge associated with the coaxial swing arm openings to thereby effect a pendulum type motion of the swing arms about said common pivot axis when the input shaft is rotated, said cams being arranged in a radially opposed configuration such that rotation of the input shaft causes the swing arms to move in equal and opposite rotational directions;
• and
• lever arms associated with each of said first and second swing arms, each lever arm configured to move substantially in unison with a corresponding first and second swing arm by virtue of a pivotable connection between each lever arm and corresponding first and second swing arm at a lower end of each of the first and second swing arm, the upper ends of each lever arm being rotatable about the input shaft axis of rotation and operatively coupled to a corresponding one of said first and second members to effect equal and opposite rotational oscillation of the first and second members.

An apparatus for pumping or compressing a fluid, the apparatus characterised by:

• a compression chamber including an inlet and outlet;
• opposed front and rear vane members disposed along an axial direction inside said compression chamber, each vane member including at least one axially extending vane segment and at least one radially disposed open segment adapted to receive a vane segment of the opposed vane member, wherein adjacent vane segments of the mating vane members form radial compartments there between;
• and
• a means of effecting equal and opposite rotational oscillation of the front and rear vane members such that adjacent vane segments oscillate toward and away from one another simultaneously, thereby creating a bellowing effect which draws fluid into the compression chamber via the inlet and discharges fluid out of the chamber via the outlet,
• wherein said means of effecting equal and opposite rotational oscillation of the front and rear vane members is a swing arm assembly adapted to translate rotatable motion of a drivable shaft into a back and forth oscillation movement of the front and rear vane members,
• wherein said swing arm assembly includes a front swing arm disposed forwardly of said front vane member and a rear swing arm disposed rearwardly of said rear vane member, each swing arm having an opening there through for accommodating the driveable shaft, and
• wherein rotating front and rear eccentric cams are associated with the front and rear swing arms respectively, and
• wherein each swing arm is moveable such that lower ends thereof are pivotable about a common pivot axis disposed above the driveable shaft axis in a pendulum motion, said pendulum motion being by virtue of contact between the rotating front and rear eccentric cams and an internal edge of each said openings.

An apparatus for pumping or compressing a fluid, the apparatus characterised by:

• a compression chamber including an inlet and outlet;
• opposed front and rear vane members disposed along an axial direction inside said compression chamber, each vane member including at least one axially extending vane segment and at least one radially disposed open segment adapted to receive a vane segment of the opposed vane member, wherein adjacent vane segments of the mating vane members form radial compartments there between;
• and
• a means of effecting equal and opposite rotational oscillation of the front and rear vane members such that adjacent vane segments oscillate toward and away from one another simultaneously, thereby creating a bellowing effect which draws fluid into the compression chamber via the inlet and discharges fluid out of the chamber via the outlet,
• wherein said means of effecting equal and opposite rotational oscillation of the front and rear vane members is a swing arm assembly adapted to translate rotatable motion of a drivable shaft into a back and forth oscillation movement of the front and rear vane members,
• wherein said swing arm assembly includes a front swing arm disposed forwardly of said front vane member and a rear swing arm disposed rearwardly of said rear vane member, each swing arm having an opening there through for accommodating the driveable shaft, and wherein rotating front and rear eccentric cams are associated with the front and rear swing arms respectively,
• wherein the front and rear eccentric cams are arranged in a radially opposed configuration such that rotation of the driveable shaft causes the front and rear swing arms to move in equal and opposite directions, and
• wherein each front and rear swing arm includes an axially disposed lever arm configured to swing in unison with the corresponding front and rear swing arm by virtue of a pivotable connection between each lever arm and corresponding front and rear swing arm lower end, the upper end of each lever arm being rotatable about the driveable shaft axis and associated with a corresponding one of said front and rear vane members to effect equal and opposite rotational oscillation of the front and rear vane members.

An apparatus for pumping or compressing a fluid, the apparatus characterised by:

• a compression chamber including an inlet and outlet;
• opposed front and rear vane members disposed along an axial direction inside said compression chamber, each vane member including at least one axially extending vane segment and at least one radially disposed open segment adapted to receive a vane segment of the opposed vane member, wherein adjacent vane segments of the mating vane members form radial compartments there between;
• and
• a means of effecting equal and opposite rotational oscillation of the front and rear vane members such that adjacent vane segments oscillate toward and away from one another simultaneously, thereby creating a bellowing effect which draws fluid into the compression chamber via the inlet and discharges fluid out of the chamber via the outlet,
• wherein said means of effecting equal and opposite rotational oscillation of the front and rear vane members is a swing arm assembly adapted to translate rotatable motion of a drivable shaft into a back and forth oscillation movement of the front and rear vane members,
• wherein said swing arm assembly includes a front swing arm disposed forwardly of said front vane member and a rear swing arm disposed rearwardly of said rear vane member, each swing arm having an opening there through for accommodating the driveable shaft, and wherein rotating front and rear eccentric cams are associated with the front and rear swing arms respectively, and
• wherein said compression chamber includes a main housing in which is housed said mating vane members, a front housing in which is housed said front swing arm, and a rear housing in which is housed said rear swing arm.