Labyrinth Patents (Class 418/141)
  • Patent number: 11920573
    Abstract: A pressure exchanger (1) including a housing (2), a drive shaft (3) and a cylinder drum (4) rotatably arranged in the housing (2) is described, the cylinder drum (4) including two front faces and at least one cylinder (5) between the front faces, wherein the housing (2) includes a port flange (7, 8) at each end of the cylinder drum (4) and at least at one end of the cylinder drum (4) a pressure shoe (18) is arranged between the cylinder drum (4) and the port flange of this end. Such a pressure exchanger should be operated in a cost-effective manner. To this end an adjustable stop arrangement (19) is arranged between the pressure shoe (18) and the cylinder drum (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Danfoss A/S
    Inventors: Poul Erik Hansen, Tommi Kolb
  • Patent number: 11378079
    Abstract: A rotary compressor may include a rotational shaft; first and second bearings that support the rotational shaft in a radial direction; a cylinder disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing, and forming a compression space; a rotor forming a contact point, disposed in the compression space, and having a predetermined gap with the cylinder, and coupled to the rotational shaft to compress refrigerant according to rotation; and at least one vane slidably inserted into the rotor, and contacting an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder to separate the compression space into a plurality of regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seokhwan Moon, Jinung Shin, Kiyoul Noh
  • Patent number: 10612668
    Abstract: Devices in which a toroidal mass rotates within a pressurized housing vessel, such as rotary wheel Active Magnetic Regenerative Refrigerators (AMRR) and Active Magnetic Regenerative Liquefiers (AMRL), are disclosed. Mechanical gap-type seal designs (e.g., labyrinth seal designs) for controlling (e.g., minimizing) and/or directing fluid flows in the space between a rotating torus and a stationary housing are disclosed. Additional features, such as the use of low friction surface coatings, the generation of low pressure gradients in high pressure heat transfer fluid transiting porous regenerative beds, and the use of pressure bladders to apply adjustable spring pressure to sealing surfaces are also disclosed and contribute to improved device efficiency and desired fluid flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: EMERALD ENERGY NW, LLC
    Inventors: John A. Barclay, Corey C. Archipley, Tadeusz Szymanski
  • Patent number: 8851870
    Abstract: A rotor of a rotary internal combustion engine, with each of the end faces having at each of the apex portions a recess defined therein in communication with the at least one apex groove, an end seal received in the recess in sealing engagement with the apex seal of each of the at least one apex groove, a first seal member in sealing engagement with the end seal and with the face seal of the face groove defined between the apex portion and a first one of the adjacent apex portions, and a second seal member in sealing engagement with the end seal and with the face seal of the face groove defined between the apex portion and a second one of the adjacent apex portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Jean Thomassin, David Gagnon-Martin
  • Patent number: 8753099
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a gerotor apparatus includes a first gerotor, a second gerotor, and a synchronizing system operable to synchronize a rotation of the first gerotor with a rotation of the second gerotor. The synchronizing system includes a earn plate coupled to the first gerotor, wherein the cam plate includes a plurality of cams, and an alignment plate coupled to the second gerotor. The alignment plate includes at least one alignment member, wherein the plurality of cams and the at least one alignment member interact to synchronize a rotation of the first gerotor with a rotation of the second gerotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignees: The Texas A&M University System, Starrotor Corporation
    Inventors: Mark T. Holtzapple, George A. Rabroker, Michael K. Ross
  • Patent number: 8556606
    Abstract: A screw fluid machine has a first non-contact seal, a second non-contact seal and a lip seal disposed between a rotor chamber and a bearing for a rotor shaft located on the high pressure side, and in this order from the rotor chamber side. It includes a pressurized communicating channel for introducing high-pressure target gas into a pressurized space formed between the first and second non-contact seals, a pressurized pressure detecting device for detecting the pressure of the pressurized space, and an alarm device for generating an alarm when a value detected by the pressurized pressure detecting device falls out of a predefined range of pressurized pressures. The screw fluid machine is capable of detecting or predicting a condition of the shaft sealing device and accurately and reliably reporting the detected condition to an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Noguchi
  • Patent number: 8529234
    Abstract: A water-lubrication type screw fluid machine has a first non-contact seal, a second non-contact seal and a lip seal disposed between a rotor chamber and a bearing for a rotor shaft. The bearing is located on the high pressure side and in this order from the rotor chamber side. the bearing includes a low pressure communicating channel for allowing an outflow space formed on the rotor chamber side with respect to the first non-contact seal to communicate with a low pressure channel for the target gas communicating with a low pressure space inside the rotor chamber or the rotor chamber, a pressurized communicating channel for introducing high-pressure target gas into a pressurized space formed between the first and second non-contact seals, and an open communicating channel through which an open space formed between the second non-contact seal and the lip seal opens to the outside of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Yoshimura, Toru Noguchi
  • Patent number: 8459974
    Abstract: A six-blade biaxial rotary positive-displacement pump includes a casing formed with a suction port and a discharge port, a pair of rotors accommodated in the casing and having rotor shafts rotatably mounted on housings fixed to opposed ends of the casing, respectively. Each rotor is formed with six blades extending radially equiangularly about the rotor shaft. Each blade is formed so as to have a constant thickness in a rotational direction of each rotor. Each blade has an apex and a valley, and a distance between the apex and the valley is set so as to range from three to five times larger than the thickness of each blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Anlet Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuna Yokoi, Akitomo Yokoi, Yoshinobu Ito, Toshiaki Kato, Masafumi Takeda, Kouiti Kume, Hideyuki Okano, Takashi Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8007264
    Abstract: An improved positive displacement rotary pump apparatus and method is provided. The pump may include a front cover, a rotor body forming a chamber with the front cover, a gear case supporting a pair of hollow drive shafts, and a pair of rotors disposed in the chambers and each detachably mounted to one end of a respective hollow drive shaft via a stud that extends from the rotor through the hollow shaft to a fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventors: Van Norman J. Drew, Hagen Curt
  • Patent number: 7713040
    Abstract: A rotor shaft sealing method for an oil-free rotary compressor is provided, with which occurrence of lubrication oil intrusion into the compression chamber of the compressor which is liable to occur when negative pressure is produced in the compression chamber, is prevented. With a rotor shaft sealing structure composed such that two shaft seal means are provided in the rotor casing between the oil lubricated bearing and the compression chamber such that an annular airspace is formed between the two shaft seal means, at least one communicating hole is provided to communicate the annular airspace to the outside of the rotor casing, and the annular airspace of the male rotor shaft sealing part and the annular airspace of the female rotor shaft sealing part are connected by a between-rotor shaft communication passage, pressurized air is supplied to the annular airspaces by which lubrication oil intrusion into the compression chamber is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Anest Iwata Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kimura, Masami Muto
  • Patent number: 7628594
    Abstract: A vane pump includes a rotor chamber; a rotor eccentrically accommodated in the rotor chamber; a plurality of vanes attached to the rotor, each vane having a leading end adapted to make sliding contact with an inner peripheral surface of the rotor chamber. The vane pump includes working compartments surrounded by inner surfaces of the rotor chamber, an outer peripheral surface of the rotor, and the vanes; an inlet port through which a working fluid is drawn into a working compartment; and an outlet port through which the working fluid is discharged from a working compartment. An engaging portion is formed in a peripheral end portion of a thrust surface of the rotor and an engaged portion with which the engaging portion engages in a non-contact state is formed in an inner surface region of the rotor chamber facing the thrust surface of the rotor in a non-contact state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishikata, Tsuyoshi Kusakabe, Tsukasa Hojo, Ken Yamamoto, Masaki Nagano
  • Patent number: 7563087
    Abstract: An improved pump and pumping method includes a circumferential positive displacement pump having two counter rotating rotors. A clearance gap is defined between the rotor shaft, and a body hub portion of the body that forms the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventors: Drew J. Van Norman, Curt Hagen
  • Publication number: 20090041604
    Abstract: Vane machine with cylinder stationary and rotating parts is intended for use as a driving or a working machine, utilising compressible or non-compressible media as the working fluid. The vane-machine basic embodiment comprises: cylinder stationary part (A), cylinder rotating parts (B), rotor (C), covers (D), and vanes with grooves (F). The cylinder stationary part has the shroud (1) in which rotates the rotor with the vanes. In the shroud there are radial rectangular openings (5 and 6), letting the media in and out, which openings may be of other shapes as well. The inner ring (8) of roller or sliding bearing, rotate driven by the vanes. The rotor is positioned eccentrically relative to the shroud axes. At the rotor there are firmly fitted lateral plates (14) that rotate jointly with the rotor. The vane-machine working chamber is delimited with the shroud, the inner rings, the vanes and the plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Nebojsa Boskovic, Branimir Matijasevic
  • Publication number: 20080274001
    Abstract: The upper and lower end surfaces (67b, 67c) of a rotary piston (67) are formed with annular seal grooves (91) extending along the annular end surfaces (67b, 67c), and an annular lip seal (92) is fitted in each of the seal grooves (91). Thereby, the lubricating oil fed from oil feed grooves (49) in the shaft (40) rarely flows from between the upper and lower end surfaces (67b, 67c) of the rotary piston (67) and front and rear heads (61, 62) and into the fluid chamber (65) of a cylinder (63), so that shortage of lubricating oil is eliminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Masakazu Okamoto, Michio Moriwaki, Eiji Kumakura, Tetsuya Okamoto, Katsumi Sakitani
  • Patent number: 6969242
    Abstract: To counter downstream oil infiltration through a shaft seal, a small portion of the compressed fluid is diverted from downstream to upstream through a passageway in a rotor. The diverted fluid is introduced to a space at a downstream side of the seal. An exemplary implementation is in a compressor having a central male rotor intermeshed with a pair of female rotors. The seal is located at an upstream (inlet) end of the lobed working portion of the male rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Carrier Corpoation
    Inventors: Donald Yannascoli, Stephen L. Shoulders
  • Patent number: 6913452
    Abstract: A screw rotor device has a housing with an inlet port and an outlet port, a male rotor, and a female rotor. The male rotor has a pair of helical threads with a phase-offset aspect, and the female rotor has a corresponding pair of helical grooves. The female rotor counter-rotates with respect to the male rotor and each of the helical grooves respectively intermeshes in phase with each of the helical threads. The phase-offset aspect of the helical threads is formed by a pair of teeth bounding a toothless sector. The arc angle of the toothless sector is a least twice the arc angle that subtends either one of the teeth. The helical grooves have a radially narrowing axial width at the periphery of the female rotor. The male and female rotors may include a buttress thread profile and may be limited in length to a single pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Imperial Research LLC
    Inventor: Charles K. Heizer
  • Patent number: 6835055
    Abstract: A vacuum pump of the rotary vane type, comprises a casing (50) having a cylindrical inner wall surface (52), a first (54; 54′) and a second (56; 56′) end wall at opposite sides of said casing defining a fluid cavity therein, fluid inlet (60) and outlet (62) ports in open communication with said fluid cavity, and a rotor (64; 64′) extending between said end walls carried by a drive shaft (70) for rotation about an axis eccentric to said casing inner wall surface, said rotor being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending radial slots (66) about the periphery thereof. Further, there are provided a plurality of vanes (68), each being radially slidably carried within a respective of said slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Delaval Holding AB
    Inventor: Mats Stellnert
  • Patent number: 6659747
    Abstract: A Roots pump rotates a plurality of rotors by a pair of rotary shafts to draw gas. Each rotary shaft extends through a rear housing member of the Roots pump. An annular shaft seal is fitted around each rotary shaft and is received in a recess formed in the rear housing member. A labyrinth seal is located between an end surface of each shaft seal and the bottom of the associated recess. This enlarges the diameter of each labyrinth seal, thus preferably preventing oil from leaking to a pump chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Shinya Yamamoto, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Satoshi Egashira
  • Patent number: 6659746
    Abstract: A Roots pump rotates a plurality of rotors by a pair of rotary shafts to draw gas. Each rotary shaft extends through a rear housing member of the Roots pump. An annular shaft seal is fitted around each rotary shaft and is received in a recess formed in the rear housing member. A labyrinth seal is located between an end surface of each shaft seal and the bottom of the associated recess. A resin layer is firmly attached to the end surface of each shaft seal. As a result, oil is reliably prevented from leaking into a pump chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Nobuaki Hoshino, Mamoru Kuwahara, Masahiko Okada, Shinya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6599112
    Abstract: A screw rotor device has a housing with an inlet port and an outlet port, a male rotor, and a female rotor. The male rotor has a pair of helical threads with a phase-offset aspect, and the female rotor has a corresponding pair of helical grooves. The female rotor counter-rotates with respect to the male rotor and each of the helical grooves respectively intermeshes in phase with each of the helical threads. The phase-offset aspect of the helical threads is formed by a pair of teeth bounding a toothless sector. The arc angle of the toothless sector is a least twice the arc angle that subtends either one of the teeth. The helical grooves have a radially narrowing axial width at the periphery of the female rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Imperial Research LLC
    Inventor: Charles K. Heizer
  • Publication number: 20030077197
    Abstract: A screw rotor device has a housing with an inlet port and an outlet port, a male rotor, and a female rotor. The male rotor has a pair of helical threads with a phase-offset aspect, and the female rotor has a corresponding pair of helical grooves. The female rotor counter-rotates with respect to the male rotor and each of the helical grooves respectively intermeshes in phase with each of the helical threads. The phase-offset aspect of the helical threads is formed by a pair of teeth bounding a toothless sector. The arc angle of the toothless sector is a least twice the arc angle that subtends either one of the teeth. The helical grooves have a radially narrowing axial width at the periphery of the female rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventor: Charles K. Heizer
  • Patent number: 6537049
    Abstract: A screw pump has two parallel shafts mounted in a pump body, each shaft thereon and each rotor has at least one helical vane or thread. When the helical vanes or threads inter mesh causing a fluid to be pumped from an inlet towards an outlet of the pump. The bearings associated with each shaft are being positioned in cavities within the first and second rotors which are sealed at their ends closest to the pump inlet. A thermal shield is provided between the bearing arrangements and the internal cavity surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: The BOC Group, plc
    Inventors: Nigel Paul Schofield, Michael Henry North
  • Patent number: 6485279
    Abstract: The area of the discharge end of a screw rotor acted on by the discharge pressure is reduced by locating a region of suction pressure acting on the discharge end of the rotor and separating the suction and discharge pressures by a labyrinth seal located between the discharge end of the rotor and the facing housing structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Jianping Zhong, Joost J. Brasz, John J. Jacobs, Frederick L. Miller, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20020150494
    Abstract: A Roots pump rotates a plurality of rotors by a pair of rotary shafts to draw gas. Each rotary shaft extends through a rear housing member of the Roots pump. An annular shaft seal is fitted around each rotary shaft and is received in a recess formed in the rear housing member. A labyrinth seal is located between an end surface of each shaft seal and the bottom of the associated recess. This enlarges the diameter of each labyrinth seal, thus preferably preventing oil from leaking to a pump chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventors: Shinya Yamamoto, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Satoshi Egashira
  • Publication number: 20020141893
    Abstract: A Roots pump rotates a plurality of rotors by a pair of rotary shafts to draw gas. Each rotary shaft extends through a rear housing member of the Roots pump. An annular shaft seal is fitted around each rotary shaft and is received in a recess formed in the rear housing member. A labyrinth seal is located between an end surface of each shaft seal and the bottom of the associated recess. A resin layer is firmly attached to the end surface of each shaft seal. As a result, oil is reliably prevented from leaking into a pump chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Nobuaki Hoshino, Mamoru Kuwahara, Masahiko Okada, Shinya Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20020081226
    Abstract: The area of the discharge end of a screw rotor acted on by the discharge pressure is reduced by locating a region of suction pressure acting on the discharge end of the rotor and separating the suction and discharge pressures by a labyrinth seal located between the discharge end of the rotor and the facing housing structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Jianping Zhong, Joost J. Brasz, John J. Jacobs, Frederick L. Miller
  • Patent number: 6368089
    Abstract: An orbiting blade rotary machine, especially for use in compressor and expansion motor units, includes a stator housing bounding an internal space that includes a substantially cylindrical internal chamber centered on a central axis. A power shaft extends in a centered relationship along the central axis through the internal space, being mounted on the stator housing for rotation about the central axis. Each of a plurality of orbiting blades extends substantially radially outwardly from the power shaft in the internal chamber toward the stator housing in its neutral position, being supported on the power shaft for pivoting within a limited angular range around the neutral position. An eccentric rotor is mounted in the stator housing for rotation about an eccentric axis parallel to and transversely offset from the central axis, being accommodated in the internal chamber to delimit a working space that the orbiting blades subdivide into individual compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Inventor: Jirí Frolík
  • Patent number: 6290480
    Abstract: A screw machine (10) has a rotor housing (12) defining overlapping bores (13, 15). Female rotor (14) is located in bore (13) and male rotor (16) is located in bore (15). Either or both of the facing surface (51) of the outlet casing (53) or the end faces (24, 26) of the female and male rotors, respectively, has a surface formed by a plurality of discrete cavities (70) separated by a network of interconnected wall members (80).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander Lifson
  • Patent number: 6264448
    Abstract: This compressor 1 is for compressing an introduced working gas to a predetermined pressure and exhausting by means of the rotation of a crank shaft 5 which is rotatively supported by a front case 4 of a housing 1A by a main bearing 6, and has a partition means 31 (labyrinth seal for example) which is provided between the main bearing and a shaft seal 28 which is provided at the outer side of the main bearing along the axial direction, and separating a space in which the shaft seal is provided from a low pressure chamber 15 of the housing to form a sealing chamber 30, and a first lubricating agent supply passage 29 which is formed in the housing and is opened to the sealing chamber for supplying a lubricating agent to the sealing chamber. A part of the highly compressed lubricating agent which is supplied the sealing chamber can be leaked to the low pressure chamber via the partition means during the operation of said compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahide Itoh, Makoto Takeuchi, Tetsuzou Ukai
  • Patent number: 6193487
    Abstract: A scroll-type vacuum pump wherein an expander and a compressor are arranged in series, in two stages, in the same housing and driven by the same shaft. The first stage is a scroll-type expander. It is in series with a scroll-type compressor, which is the second stage. The volume of the suction pockets of the second stage, the compressor, is not significantly smaller than the volume of the discharge pockets of the first stage device, the expander. Thus, the amount of heat associated with the re-expansion and compression process is reduced. The two stage pump also includes a double shaft seal mechanism which seals off the suction chamber of the expander from both the ambient and the discharge chamber of the expander. The two stage pump of the invention further includes a labyrinth structure at the tip surfaces of the scroll elements to tightly control the axial gap between the tips and bases of the mating scroll elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Mind Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Shimao Ni
  • Patent number: 6139290
    Abstract: Methods of sealing a planetary rotor engine, and the resulting seals, are described which improve the engine's efficiency and solves each of three main problem areas. A first method and resulting dynamic seal for sealing the rotor face surfaces as they translate across one another to constantly reform the contact between each other includes the key step of moving the shaft centerlines of each of the rotors, thereby radially positioning the rotors along diametric axes at positions which compensate for varying thermodynamic conditions (e.g. thermal expansion or contraction of rotor materials). A second method and resulting dynamic seal for effectively minimizing leakage between the end space formed between the rotor end and the case includes the key step of introducing a surface depression of any shape on one, or both, of the rotor end and opposing casing, thereby eliminating the need for a frictional seal and, in essence, forming a pressure wave plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Inventor: Frederick Masterson
  • Patent number: 5797366
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a toroidal combustion chamber housing within which slides at least one piston. The combustion chamber housing has a circumferential longitudinal slot sealed by a ring seal to which the pistons are rigidly attached. A mechanism is provided for reversibly creating one or more transverse seals within the combustion chamber housing. The space between the transverse seals constitutes one or more combustion chambers. The simplest embodiment of the engine has one combustion chamber and one piston. The combustion chamber is operationally divided by the piston into two regions. The space between the transverse seal and a trailing surface of the piston defines a combustion region. The space between the transverse seal and a leading surface of the piston defines an exhaust region. In each power cycle of the engine, compressed air, fuel and steam are injected into the combustion region and ignited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: New Devices Engineering A.K.O. Ltd.
    Inventor: Victor Isaevich Adamovski
  • Patent number: 5560741
    Abstract: A non-contact vane-type fluid-displacement machine includes a stator housing having an annular interior surface defining an interior bore and a rotor supported in an eccentric position in the interior bore of the stator housing relative to the annular interior surface thereof to undergo rotation relative to the stator housing about a central rotational axis. The rotor has a plurality of slots radially defined therein relative to the rotational axis. The machine also has a plurality of vanes disposed in the radial slots of the rotor. The vane is mounted to the rotor to undergo reciprocable movement in a radial direction relative to the rotational axis of the rotor such that an outer tip portion of the vane is maintained in a non-contacting substantially sealed relationship with the annular interior surface of the stator housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Inventor: Thomas C. Edwards
  • Patent number: 5549462
    Abstract: A gear pump comprises rotors disposed in roller bearings. For the delivery of very viscous polymer meltings, bearings surfaces of at least one of inner races, outer races of the bearings and bearing surfaces of roller elements are made of a steel with a high-temperature stability. Bearing takes place on material pairings consisting of one of S6-5-2 high-speed steel and silicon nitride Si.sub.3 N.sub.4. The roller bearings are either unlubricated or lubricated by a lubricant remaining in the bearing, preferably a solid-substance lubrication. A distance of supported shafts, from a gearwheel face to a supporting area of the shafts, determined by the outer contact point in the roller bearing, is smaller than twice the median diameter of the shafts therealong.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Maag Pump Systems AG
    Inventors: Eduard Mischler, Roger Stehr
  • Patent number: 5462420
    Abstract: A gear pump comprising a housing for housing gear pump rotors in a housing interior, said housing having a housing end at an end face side of the housing through which at least one pump rotor shaft is guided from the housing interior to outside the housing, a shaft bearing in the housing end for rotatably supporting the rotor shaft, and a labyrinth seal in the housing end which in use surrounds the rotor shaft, wherein the shaft bearing is arranged separately from the labyrinth seal at a position spaced axially inward toward the housing interior with respect to the labyrinth seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Maag Pump Systems AG
    Inventors: Roger Stehr, Urs Boelsterli
  • Patent number: 5335640
    Abstract: An improved Roots type supercharger for use with high performance vehicle engines. The supercharger includes rotors within a casing having rotor lobes with raised apex lands that move in a sealing relationship to the casing inside wall and rotor ends that move in a sealing relationship to the inside wall of casing end plates. A plurality of grooves are formed in at least one of the land, rotor end and end plate inside wall to reduce leakage of gases through those seals. The grooves are preferably formed generally perpendicular to the path of gas leakage through the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Feuling Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Feuling
  • Patent number: 5255432
    Abstract: The seal or pattern between two machine parts has on one of the sealing gap-forming, facing surfaces (5) a plastic layer (1) with closely juxtaposed depressions (8) which have the form of partly cut off voids of an expanded plastic structure. They are formed by the removal of a plastic layer (3) expanded on the machine part, the layer thickness being so uniformly reduced that the voids (4) of the bottom void layer (4) adjacent to the base surface (5) of the machine part are open. This avoids the insulating action of the closed voids of an expanded plastic layer and the latter has a very limited weight, which avoids any risk of the layer being detached or separated due to centrifugal forces. Moreover, in simple manner, a honeycomb-like, open surface structure is obtained, so that there is a labyrinth effect in the sealing gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1993
    Assignee: TES Wankel Technische Forschungsund Entwicklungsstelle
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Peter Kuhn, Michael Frey
  • Patent number: 5232355
    Abstract: A scroll-type fluid apparatus includes a housing whose interior is divided by upper and lower partitioning walls into chambers one over another, i.e., a discharge chamber communicating with a discharge port, an inlet chamber communicating with an inlet port and a drive chamber accommodating therein a motor. A first scroll member is disposed in the inlet chamber and has a lower surface formed integral with a first spiral scroll vane. A second scroll member is disposed in the inlet chamber at a location below the first scroll member and has a lower surface provided with a rotatable shaft which is rotatably supported in the lower partitioning wall. The second scroll member is integrally provided on an upper surface thereof with a second spiral scroll vane which is in mesh with the first scroll vane to form a plurality of variable-volume chambers. An oil pump is provided in the discharge chamber for supplying lubricant to contacting parts of the first and second scroll members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki K.K.
    Inventors: Kozaburo Fujii, Yutaka Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 5222879
    Abstract: A contact-less seal apparatus including a first surface and a closely adjacent second surface with a space defined therebetween. A high pressure fluid region exists on a first side of the space. A low pressure fluid region exists on a second side of the space. A plurality of discrete expansion chambers are integrally formed in at least one of the first and second surfaces within the space to limit fluid flow from the high pressure fluid region to the low pressure fluid region. The expansion chambers may be formed on an axial end of a rolling piston, side and end faces of a vane, lateral faces of a reciprocating piston or other elements where a contact-less seal is highly desirable to improve sealing capability and effectiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company
    Inventor: Neville D. Kapadia
  • Patent number: 5178529
    Abstract: The seal or pattern between two machine parts has on one of the sealing gap-forming, facing surfaces (5) a plastic layer (1) with closely juxtaposed depressions (8) which have the form of partly cut off voids of an expanded plastic structure. They are formed by the removal of a plastic layer (3) expanded on the machine part, the layer thickness being so uniformly reduced that the voids (4) of the bottom void layer (4) adjacent to the base surface (5) of the machine part are open. This avoids the insulating action of the closed voids of an expanded plastic layer and the latter has a very limited weight, which avoids any risk of the layer being detached or separated due to centrifugal forces. Moreover, in simple manner, a honeycomb-like, open surface structure is obtained, so that there is a labyrinth effect in the sealing gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: TES Wankel Technische Forschungs- und Entwicklungsstelle
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Peter Kuhn, Michael Frey
  • Patent number: 5083539
    Abstract: In the concentric rotary pressure fluid machine which can either be an engine, motor, pump or compressor, the four identical elliptical gears (54, 54, 100, 100) actuate the relative rotary motions of two identical and coaxial rotors (60, 60') characterized by varying angular accelerations with respect to time equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. Consequently, the four arcuate variable-volume-chambers ( 1, 2, 3, 4) bounded by the arcuate rotor vanes (70, 70, 70', 70') analogous to opposed pistons of the piston-cylinder machine, and the rotor cylinders (80'), axial spacer (110), hollow cylindrical shell (20) and two transverse end plates (32, 32), functioning as cylinder block symmetrically and alternately enlarge and shrink in volumes in the prescribed manner as they revolve around their common axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Inventor: Seno L. Cornelio
  • Patent number: 5035589
    Abstract: Leakage in a scroll wrap compressor is reduced by providing a roughened scroll wrap tip surface at the gap between the tip and the cooperating base so as to increase the frictional resistance to flow of fluid through the gap and to cause turbulence within the gap to further increase the resistance to the flow of fluid from the high pressure to the low pressure side across a scroll wrap tip. Various types of surfaces are shown for increasing the frictional resistance to flow such as knurling, grooving, cast cavities, metal particles and fibers and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Howard H. Fraser, Jr., William J. Boonzha, Shahrokh Etemad
  • Patent number: 5032068
    Abstract: The instant invention relates to a displacement-type rotary system steam-turbine engine that among other mainly functions as a displacing-type steam engine. Through the partial utilization of the kinetic energy generated by the impinging steam molecules upon the rotor blades said invention functions additionally similar to a radial flow turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Inventor: Waldemar H. Kurherr
  • Patent number: 4990069
    Abstract: A multistage Roots-type vacuum pump comprising: a rotor defining a plurality of successive compression chambers (5) which are axially separated from one another by intermediate plates (1); a rotor assembly disposed inside the stator and constituted by two parallel shafts (8, 9) supported by bearings (11, 12) in end plates (2, 3) of the stator, each shaft (8, 9) being fitted inside each chamber (5) with a compression lobe (13, 14) such that each chamber thus contains two conjugate compression lobes; a motor (15) for driving one (8) of the two shafts in rotation, with the other shaft being driven in the opposite direction by gearing (17-18) situated in a housing (6) fixed to the corresponding end plate (2) of the stator, with each of the shafts passing through the end plate via a corresponding lip seal (19, 20); wherein a sealing module (24) is interposed between the end plate (2) situated adjacent to the housing (6) and the compression chamber adjacent to the housing, the module (24) comprising a partition aro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Societe Anonyme dite: Alcatel Cit
    Inventors: Dominique Guittet, Eric Taberlet, Jean-Francois Vuillermoz
  • Patent number: 4981424
    Abstract: A single screw mechanism of the positive displacement rotary type such as a ompressor or expander for varying the pressure of a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Thomas W. Bein
  • Patent number: 4943213
    Abstract: An internal axis rotary piston machine containing in a housing (2), an outer rotor (26), with which an inner rotor (8) having n engagement parts (9) is in meshing engagement, there being n+1 recesses between engagement parts (34) of the outer rotor (26). The inner rotor (8) and outer rotor (26) rotate uniformly at a speed ratio of (n+1):n. There is contact of the tooth-flank type between inside faces of the outer rotor (26) and outside faces of the inner rotor (8) such that working spaces (66) are formed and move past inlet and outlet orifices (63, 64) of the housing (2). The rotary piston machine is designed in such a way that cost-effective production can be achieved while assuring a simple construction. To achieve this, it is proposed that the housing (2) should have, on the drive side, a bottom (4) formed in one piece and should be made pot-shaped. The bottom (4) has an outer face for a bearing (30) of the outer rotor (26), especially on a ring (28) extending axially into the end of the outer rotor (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Assignee: Aktiengesellschaft Kuehnle, Kopp & Kausch
    Inventors: Arno Forster, Gerhard Oberholz, Christiane Romuss
  • Patent number: 4818199
    Abstract: A displacement machine for compressible media, with at least one displacement chamber arranged in a stationary housing and rendered in the manner of a groove extending with a spiral shape, and with a band-shaped or tongue-shaped displacement body associated with each displacement chamber and likewise rendered in spiral shape is described. The displacement body is held on a discoid rotor, which can be driven eccentrically relative to the housing, in such a manner that during operation, each of its outside wall points performs a circular movement bounded by the peripheral walls of the displacement chamber. The curvature of the displacement body relative to the curvature of the displacement chamber is dimensioned such that the displacement body nearly comes in contact with the radially inner and outer peripheral walls of the displacement chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Emmenthal, Claus Muller, Otto Schafer
  • Patent number: 4516921
    Abstract: An improved seal apparatus for a rotary machine including a rotary internal combustion engine. The machine generally comprises a rotor rotatably disposed in a circular working section in a hollow machine housing, a divider valve, and for an internal combustion engine a compression-expansion valve being rotatably secured in the housing and in sealing engagement with the rotor to divide the working space in the housing into an intake space and an exhaust space. The rotor of the machine has a piston formed thereon and the improved seal apparatus includes a plurality of seal bars in recesses between recessed connecting runners in the piston perimeter surface and urged into sealing relation with the inner wall of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1985
    Assignees: Vida M. Kemp, Phyllis J. Carter, Ruth E. Kemp, Allan E. Kemp
    Inventor: Gail W. Kemp
  • Patent number: 4417859
    Abstract: An external combustion engine is disclosed of the type including two or more circular rotors rotatably supported, one of the rotors acting as a power rotor and rotating in tangential contact with the other sealing rotor. The power rotor is formed with a radially projecting piston passing into a mating recess with the sealing rotor at a corresponding circumferential location. Steam or other working fluid is admitted via an intake port located opposite one face of the power rotor to cause rotation of the power rotor by expansion of the fluid in a working chamber defined by the space behind the piston. As the power rotor continues to rotate, the working chamber passes into communication with an exhaust port preparator to another power stroke. A vacuum relief port is provided at an intermediate location which relieves any vacuum condition which develops behind the piston during part throttle operating conditions of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1983
    Inventor: Frank C. Praner
  • Patent number: 4411605
    Abstract: An involute and tip seal for use in a positive fluid displacement apparatus of the scroll type. A scroll machine wrap element of general spiral configuration about an axis includes a radially inner and outer flank surface terminating in a tip. In the tip, a groove is formed which runs in the longitudinal direction of the wrap element and substantially conforms to its spiral shape. A plurality of material strips, generally coaligned in parallel side-by-side relationship, are disposed within the spiral groove of the involute wrap. One or more of the strips includes a plurality of notches along at least one of the two axial edges. These notches, in conjunction with one or more of the adjacent strips and a flat surface against which the notched edge abuts, define a plurality of labyrinth pockets longitudinally spaced along the strips. The labyrinth surface improves both longitudinal and transverse fluid sealing of the involute tip seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1983
    Assignee: The Trane Company
    Inventor: John R. Sauls