Pump device

Abstract

A pump device (1) is provided comprising: a shaft (2), rotor means (3a, 3b) fixed to said shaft (2) in rotational direction, said rotor means (3a, 3b) having pressure chambers (5a, 5b) the volume of which varying during a rotation of said rotor means (3a, 3b), port plate means (15a, 15b) having a through going opening (16a, 16b) for each of said pressure chambers (5a, 5b) and being connected to said rotor means (3a, 3b) in rotational direction, and valve plate means (17a, 17b) cooperating with said port plate means (15a, 15b). It is intended to pressurize a high volume of fluid, in particular water, within a limited space. To this end said rotor means (3a, 3b) comprise a first rotor (3a) and at least a second rotor (3b), both rotors being fixed to said shaft (2) in rotational direction, said first rotor (3a) having at least a first pressure chamber (5a) and said second rotor (3b) having at least a second pressure chamber (5b), said port plate means (15a, 15b) having a first port plate (15a) and at least a second port plate (15b), said first port plate (15a) having a through going opening (16a) for said first pressure chamber (5a) and being connected to said first rotor (3a) in rotational direction, said second port plate (15b) having a through going opening (16b) for said second pressure chamber (5b) and being connected to said second rotor (3b) in rotational direction, said valve plate means (17a, 17b) having a first valve plate (17a) and at least a second valve plate (17b), said first valve plate (17a) cooperating with said first port plate (15a), and said second valve plate (17b) cooperating with said second port plate (15b), wherein at least one of said first rotor (3a) and said second rotor (3b) comprises force generating means (19) pressing said second port plate (15b) against said second valve plate (17b) even in absence of hydraulic pressure in said second pressure chamber (5b).

Claims

1. A pump device comprising: a shaft, rotor means fixed to said shaft in rotational direction, said rotor means having pressure chambers the volume of which varying during a rotation of said rotor means, port plate means having a through going opening for each of said pressure chambers and being connected to said rotor means in rotational direction, and valve plate means cooperating with said port plate means, wherein said rotor means comprise a first rotor and at least a second rotor, said rotors being fixed to said shaft in rotational direction, said first rotor having at least a first pressure chamber and said second rotor having at least a second pressure chamber, said port plate means having a first port plate and at least a second port plate, said first port plate having a through going opening for said first pressure chamber and being connected to said first rotor in rotational direction, said second port plate having a through going opening for said second pressure chamber and being connected to said second rotor in rotational direction, said valve plate means having a first valve plate and at least a second valve plate, said first valve plate cooperating with said first port plate, and said second valve plate cooperating with said second port plate, wherein at least one of said first and said second rotor comprises force generating means pressing said second port plate against said second valve plate even in absence of hydraulic pressure in said second pressure chamber, wherein a port housing is located between said first rotor and said second rotor, wherein said shaft extends freely through said port housing without contacting said port housing via a bearing within said port housing, and wherein said first valve plate, said second valve plate, said first port plate, said second port plate and said port housing are separate elements.

2. The pump device according to claim 1, wherein said force generating means comprise at least one spring.

3. The pump device according to claim 2, wherein said spring is a coil spring located in a pocket of said second rotor.

4. The pump device according to claim 3, wherein said shaft extends from said first rotor to said second rotor and said first rotor and said second rotor are fixed in axial direction to said shaft.

5. The pump device according to claim 2, wherein said shaft extends from said first rotor to said second rotor and said first rotor and said second rotor are fixed in axial direction to said shaft.

6. The pump device according to claim 1, wherein said shaft extends from said first rotor to said second rotor and said first rotor and said second rotor are fixed in axial direction to said shaft.

7. The pump device according to claim 1, wherein said first valve plate and said second valve plate are located on opposite sides of said port housing.

8. The pump device according to claim 1, wherein a distance sleeve surrounding said shaft is located between said first rotor and said second rotor.

9. The pump device according to claim 8, wherein said distance sleeve extends through said port housing.

10. The pump device according to claim 8, wherein said distance sleeve is in contact with said first rotor and said second rotor.

11. The pump device according to claim 1, wherein said first pressure chamber is formed by a first cylinder and a first piston and said second pressure chamber is formed by a second cylinder and a second piston, said first piston and said second piston being movable in a direction parallel to said axial direction of said shaft.

12. The pump device according to claim 11, wherein said first piston is driven by a first swash plate and said second piston is driven by a second swash plate, said swash plates having opposite angels of inclination.

13. The pump device according to claim 12, wherein said first piston has a first slide shoe held in contact at said first swash plate by a first pressure plate swiveling about a first swivel and said second piston has a second slide shoe held in contact at said second swash plate by a second pressure plate swiveling about a second swivel, said first rotor being supported in a first rotor housing by a first bearing arranged between said first swivel and said port housing and said second rotor being supported in a second rotor housing by a second bearing arranged between said second swivel and said port housing.

14. The pump device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said rotors is clamped onto said shaft.

15. The pump device according to claim 1, wherein a sleeve made of a plastic material is arranged between said rotor and said shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred examples of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of a pump device and

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of a pump device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) A pump device 1 is used for pumping water. It is a water hydraulic machine and comprises a shaft 2 which can be rotated by a motor which is not shown. The shaft 2 is a through going shaft extending over almost the complete length of the pump device 1. A first rotor 3a and a second rotor 3b are fixed to the shaft 2 in rotational direction and in axial direction of the shaft 2. The axial direction refers to a rotational axis 4 of the shaft 2.

(5) The first rotor 3a has a plurality of first pressure chambers 5a. Each pressure chamber 5a is formed by a first cylinder 6a and a first piston 7a which is during operation moveable parallel to the axis 4 of the shaft 2. Therefore, the volume of the first pressure chamber 5a varies during a rotation of the shaft 2 between a maximum size and a minimum size.

(6) A first swash plate 8a is located facing a front face of the first rotor 3a. Each first piston 7a is provided with a first slide shoe 9a. The slide shoe 9a is held in contact with the swash plate 8a by means of a pressure plate 10a swiveling about a first swivel 11a during rotation of the first rotor 3a. To this end the first pressure plate 10a is supported on a first sphere 12a fixed to the first rotor 3a.

(7) The first rotor 3a is surrounded by a first rotor housing 13a. The first rotor 3a is supported in the first rotor housing 13a by means of a first radial bearing 14a.

(8) At the side of the first rotor 3a opposite to the first swash plate 8a a first port plate 15a is located having a through going opening 16a for each first pressure chamber 5a. The first port plate 15a contacts a first valve plate 17a. The valve plate 17a has kidney-shaped openings serving as inlet and outlet openings for a first pump unit formed by said first rotor 3a, said first pressure chamber 5a, said first swash plate 8a, said first slide shoe 9a, said first pressure plate 10a, said first sphere 12a, said first port plate 15a and said first valve plate 17a.

(9) The pump device 1 comprises furthermore a second pump unit which is constructed similar to the first pump unit, i.e. comprising a second rotor 3b, second pressure chambers 5b each formed of a second cylinder 6b and a second piston 7b. The second piston 7b is driven by a second swash plate 8b. Each second piston 7b is provided with a second slide shoe 9b and is held in contact at the swash plate 8b by means of a second pressure plate 10b swiveling during operation around a second swivel 11b. To this end the second pressure plate 10b is supported on a second sphere 12b. The second rotor 3b is surrounded by a second rotor housing 13b and supported in the second rotor housing 13b by means of a second radial bearing 14b.

(10) The second rotor 3b is provided with a second port plate 15b having a through going opening 16b for each pressure chamber 15b. The port plate 15b cooperates with a second valve plate 17b having the same construction as the first valve plate 17a.

(11) The first swash plate 8a and the second swash plate 8b have opposite inclination. During rotation of the shaft 2 the first piston 7a and the second piston 7b move simultaneously in opposite directions keeping resulting forces small.

(12) The first swash plate 8a and the second swash plate 8b may have the same angle or different angles of indination.

(13) A port housing 18 is located between the first rotor 3a and the second rotor 13b. The port housing 18 accommodate a common inlet port and a common outlet port for the two pump units. Since the two pistons 7a, 7b are permanently moving in opposite direction the port housing 18 is loaded by opposite acting pressures. Therefore, the port housing 18 is balanced.

(14) The first radial bearing 14a is located in axial direction between the first swivel 11a and the port housing 18. The second radial bearing 14b is located in axial direction between the second swivel 11b and the port housing 18. The first radial bearing 14a and the second radial bearing 14b have a considerable distance to each other in axial direction giving stable support for the shaft 2 thereby preventing tilting of the shaft 2 and of the first rotor 3a and of the second rotor 3b. The radial bearings 14a, 14b can be designed to support the rotors 3a, 3b axially as well. However, separate axial bearings can be used as well.

(15) During operation the first port plate 15a is pressed against the first valve plate 17a by the pressure in the first pressure chamber 15a. In the same way, during operation the second port plate 15b is pressed against the second valve plate 17b by the pressure in the second pressure chamber 5b.

(16) However, this requires that the pressure in both pressure chambers 5a, 5b is high enough to generate forces sufficient to establish a leak proof seal between the first port plate 15a and the first valve plate 17a and between the second port plate 15b and the second valve plate 17b. Such a pressure does not exist when the shaft 2 is not rotated. In particular, such a pressure does not exist during a starting of the pump device 1.

(17) In order to press the second port plate 15b against the second valve plate 17b even when there is not enough pressure in the second pressure chamber 5b a coil spring 19 is arranged between the second rotor 3b and the second port plate 15b. This coil spring 19 is located in a pocket 20 in the second rotor 3b guiding the coil spring 19 and preventing a deformation in lateral direction.

(18) It is noted that the coil spring 19 as force generating means is necessary in one of the two pump units only. The first pump unit does not have such a force generating means. However, it is possible to provide both pump units with force generating means, such as said coil spring 19.

(19) In most cases it will be necessary to use more than only one coil spring 19. In this case the coil springs are distributed in circumferential direction around axis 4. It is possible to use, for example, 3, 6, or 9 coil springs 19 depending on the force each coil spring 19 can generate.

(20) Generally speaking, if not only two pump units, as shown, are used, but N-pump units, (N1) pump units must have such a force generating means like coil spring 19 whereas the remaining pump unit does not have such a force generating means.

(21) As mentioned above, the two rotors 3a, 3b are fixed on the shaft 2 in rotational and in axial direction. To define a predetermined distance between the two rotors 3a, 3b in axial direction, a distance sleeve 21 is located between the first rotor 3a and the second rotor 3b. Both rotors 3a, 3b contact the distance sleeve 21.

(22) As can be seen in FIG. 1 the shaft 2 extends through the port housing 18 without any contact to the port housing 18. This is possible due to the radial bearings 14a, 14b supporting sufficiently the shaft 2 via the first rotor 3a and the second rotor 3b.

(23) The shaft 2 has a section 22 having a polygon shaped outer contour, for example in form of a triangle having rounded edges. The first rotor 3a is provided with a corresponding inner contour. A sleeve 23 made of a plastic material is located between the section 23 and the first rotor 3a. The material for this sleeve can be selected from the group of high-strength thermoplastic material on the basis of polyaryl ether ketones, in particular polyether ether ketones, polyamides, polyacetals, polyaryl ethers, polyethylene terephtalates, polyphenylene sulphides, polysulphones, polyether sulphones, polyether imides, polyamide imide, polyacrylates, phenol resins, such as novolak resins, or similar substances, and as fillers, use can be made of glass, graphite, polytetrafluoro-ethylene or carbon, in particular in fibre form. When using such materials, it is likewise possible to use water as the hydraulic fluid.

(24) The second rotor 3b can be fixed on the shaft 2 in the same way. This is not shown in detail in FIG. 1.

(25) Since the radial bearings 14a, 14b are located between the swivel 11a, 11b and the port housing 18 it is possible to use radial bearings 14a, 14b with a smaller diameter thus keeping the torque losses smaller. Furthermore, it is no longer necessary to provide the rotors 3a, 3b with a skirt surrounding the pressure plates 10a, 10b.

(26) FIG. 2 shows another example of a pump device 1. The same elements are designated with the same reference numerals.

(27) Basically the pump device 1 of FIG. 2 has the same construction as the pump device 1 of FIG. 1. One difference is the way of fixing the first rotor 3a to the shaft 2 and of the second rotor 3b to the shaft 2.

(28) The first rotor 3a is provided with a cone-shaped opening 24a surrounding the shaft 2. A ring 25 which is provided with an axial running slot (not shown) and having a cone-like outer form, is mounted on the shaft 2 and inserted in the opening 24a. The ring 25 is pressed in the cone-shaped opening 24a by means of a pressing sleeve 26 which is screwed onto shaft 2. To this end shaft 2 is provided with an outer threading 27 at its end.

(29) A similar construction can be used for the second rotor 3b having a cone-shaped opening 24b as well surrounding shaft 2. A slotted ring 28 is held in its position by a stop member 29. When the tightening sleeve 26 is tightened the stop member 29 presses the slotted ring 28 into the cone-shaped opening 24 thereby clamping the second rotor 3b on shaft 2.

(30) It is clear that one rotor 3a can be fixed on shaft 2 by a polygonal geometry and the other rotor 3b can be clamped on the shaft 2. In principle all combinations are possible.

(31) While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.