APPARATUS FOR DRIVING FLUID HAVING A ROTATING CAM AND ROCKER ARM

20170167488

14/965415

December 10, 2015

An apparatus for driving fluid includes a housing having an interior chamber in communication with a fluid inlet for receiving the fluid and a fluid outlet for expelling the fluid, a cam rotatably mounted within the interior chamber, the cam configured to drive fluid to flow, the cam having an annular channel formed therein, a working vane extending into the annular channel for sliding therein as the cam rotates, wherein the working vane divides the annular channel into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber such that, as the cam rotates, the inlet chamber expands and the outlet chamber contracts, a follower vane extending into the annular channel for sliding therein as the cam rotates, wherein the follower vane allows fluid to pass in he annular channel, and a rocker arm for providing dependent motion between the working vane and the follower vane.

1. An apparatus for driving fluid comprising: a housing having an interior chamber in communication with a fluid inlet for receiving the fluid and a fluid outlet for expelling the fluid; a cam rotatably mounted within the interior chamber, the cam configured to drive fluid to flow, the cam having an annular channel formed therein; a working vane extending into the annular channel for sliding therein as the cam rotates, wherein the working, vane divides the annular channel into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber such that, as the cam rotates, the inlet chamber expands and the outlet chamber contracts; a follower vane extending into the annular channel for sliding therein as the cam rotates, wherein the follower vane allows fluid to pass in the annular channel; and a rocker arm for providing dependent motion between the working vane and the follower vane.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rocker arm has a first arm end engaging the working vane and a second arm end engaging the follower vane, and wherein the first and second arm ends are on opposite sides of a rocker pivot to provide opposed motion of the working vane relative to the follower vane.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second arm end includes a rocker magnetic element and the follower vane includes a vane magnetic element that is magnetically opposed to the rocker magnetic element.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a spring connected at one end to the follower vane and connected at the other end to the second arm end.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the spring includes a coil spring or a leaf spring.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cam is reversible such that fluid will flow in a reverse direction when the cam is rotated in a reverse direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a rocker mount pivotally mounting the rocker arm to the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cam has a cam rotational axis and the rocker arm has a rocker arm rotational axis and wherein the cam rotational axis is perpendicular to the rocker arm rotational axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rocker arm frictionally contacts the working vane.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism for providing rotation to the cam.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the follower vane has apertures to allow fluid to flow therethrough.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apertures are sized to have a height that is less than the depth of a follower vane socket.

13. An apparatus for driving fluid comprising: a housing having a first interior chamber in communication with a first fluid inlet for receiving the fluid and a first fluid outlet for expelling the fluid, and a second interior chamber in communication with a second fluid inlet for receiving the fluid and a second fluid outlet for expelling the fluid; a cam rotatably mounted within the interior chamber, the cam configured to enable the fluid to flow, the cam having first and second annular channels formed therein; a first working vane extending into the first annular channel for sliding therein as the cam rotates, wherein the first working vane divides the first annular channel into a first inlet chamber and a first outlet chamber such that, as the cam rotates, the first inlet chamber expands and the first outlet chamber contracts; a first follower vane extending into the first annular channel for sliding therein as the cam rotates, wherein the first follower vane allows fluid to pass in the first annular channel; a first rocker arm providing dependent motion between the first working vane and the first follower vane; a second working vane extending into the second annular channel for sliding therein as the cam rotates, wherein the second working vane divides the second annular channel into a second inlet chamber and a second outlet chamber such that, as the cam rotates, the second inlet chamber expands and the second outlet chamber contracts; a second follower vane extending into the second annular channel for sliding therein as the cam rotates, wherein the second follower vane allows fluid to pass in the second annular channel; and a second rocker arm providing dependent motion between the second working vane and the second follower vane.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first working vane is coincident with the second working vane.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first follower vane is coincident with the second follower vane.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet are connected via an inlet conduit to a single conduit inlet, and wherein the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet are connected via an outlet conduit to a single conduit outlet.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein fluid passes from the first annular channel to the second annular channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first annular channel dives a first fluid and the second annular channel drives a second fluid.

19. A method of driving fluid comprising: receiving the fluid via a fluid inlet in communication with an interior chamber and expelling the fluid via a fluid outlet; rotating a cam mounted within the interior chamber and driving fluid to flow the cam having en annular channel formed therein; reciprocating a working vane in the annular channel as the cam rotates, wherein the working vane divides the annular channel into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber such that, as the cam rotates, the inlet chamber expands and the outlet chamber contracts; and reciprocating a follower vane in the annular channel as the cam rotates wherein the follower vane allows fluid to pass in the annular channel, wherein extension of the follower vane is dependent on the retraction of the working vane.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing opposed motion of the working vane relative to the follower vane.

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edspap.20170167488