BALL PISTON PUMP

Abstract

A fluid pump includes a cam plate that defines an inner cam surface with an eccentric portion and a narrow portion. A core rotates within the inner cam surface and has a piston cavity connected to an inlet port and an outlet port. A piston member is operatively received within the piston cavity to define a suction phase within the eccentric portion and a pressure phase within the narrow portion. The piston member is pushed outward by the rotation of the core. During the suction phase, the piston member moves away from the piston cavity to define a flow cavity that draws fluid from the inlet port. During the pressure phase, the piston member is pushed by the narrow portion within the flow cavity to force fluid from the flow cavity toward the outlet port.

Claims

1. A fluid pump comprising: a cam plate defining an inner cam surface having an eccentric portion and a narrow portion; a core rotating within the inner cam surface and having a piston cavity communicating with an inlet port and an outlet port; and a piston member operatively received within the piston cavity to define a suction phase within the eccentric portion and a pressure phase within the narrow portion, wherein the piston member is pushed outward by the rotational operation of the core, wherein: during the suction phase, the piston member pushes the piston cavity to define a flow cavity that draws fluid from the inlet port; and during the pressure phase, the piston member is pushed by the narrow portion within the flow cavity to push fluid from the flow cavity toward the outlet port.

2. The fluid pump of claim 1, wherein the inlet port and outlet port are defined within an end assembly.

3. The fluid pump of claim 2, wherein the end assembly has a fluid inlet that is in communication with the inlet port and a fluid outlet that is in communication with the outlet port.

4. The fluid pump of claim 3, wherein the fluid inlet and fluid outlet are located on an outer surface of the end assembly.

5. The fluid pump of claim 4, wherein the inlet port and outlet port are defined within a flow surface of the end assembly.

6. The fluid pump of claim 5, wherein an inlet channel extends between the fluid inlet and the inlet port and an outlet channel extends between the fluid outlet and the outlet port.

7. The fluid pump of claim 6, wherein the end assembly includes a port plate positioned between the cam plate and an end plate of the end assembly, the port plate having the inlet port extending between the eccentric portion and the inlet channel, and the outlet port extending between the narrowed portion and the outlet channel.

8. The fluid pump of any of claims 1-7, wherein the piston member is pushed against the inner surface of the cam at least by a centrifugal force generated during rotation of the core.

9. The fluid pump of any of claims 1-8, wherein the eccentric portion includes opposing eccentric sections of the inner surface of the cam and the narrowed portion includes the first and second opposing narrowed sections of the inner surface of the cam.

10. The fluid pump of claim 9, wherein the cam plate at least partially defines a pressure relief channel extending between the first and second opposing eccentric sections.

11. The fluid pump of any of claims 6-10, wherein each piston cavity includes a fluid opening extending to a core port surface, wherein the fluid openings alternately align with the inlet channel and outlet channel during core operation.

12. The fluid pump of claim 11, wherein the operation of the piston member between the suction phase and the pressure phase moves the fluid from the inlet port into the piston cavities and into the outlet port.

13. A fluid pump comprising: a cam plate having an inner cam surface defining alternately eccentric and narrowed sections; a core rotating within the inner cam surface and having piston cavities in communication with an inlet port and an outlet port; and piston members positioned respectively within the piston cavities to define flow cavities between them, wherein the rotation of the core generates a centrifugal force that pushes the piston members toward the inner cam surface and away from an axis of rotation of the core, wherein: the alternate eccentric and narrowed sections define the respective suction and pressure phases of each piston member; each suction phase pushes the piston members outward to expand the flow cavity, the suction phases draw a fluid into the flow cavity from the inlet port;Each pressure phase pushes the piston members into the respective piston cavities to compress the flow cavity and expel the fluid from the flow cavity and towards the outlet port; and the inlet port is aligned with the eccentric sections and the outlet port is aligned with the tapered sections.

14. The fluid pump of claim 13, wherein the inner surface of the cam includes a generally elliptical profile having two eccentric sections and two tapered sections.

15. The fluid pump of claim 14, wherein the two narrowed sections correspond to two outlet ports and the two eccentric sections correspond to the two inlet ports.

16. The fluid pump of claim 15, wherein the two inlet ports are fluidly connected via an inlet channel and the two outlet ports are fluidly connected via an outlet channel.

17. The fluid pump of claim 16, wherein a pressure relief channel extends between the two eccentric sections.

18. The fluid pump of any of claims 13 MA / a / ZUZZ / UU l UO l 17, wherein the core includes six piston cavities and the piston members include six piston members operatively positioned within the six piston cavities.

19. The fluid pump of claim 18, wherein each piston member rotates about the axis of rotation of the core and sequentially operates the suction and pressure phases with respect to the inlet port and the outlet port.

20. The fluid pump of any of claim 1319, wherein the inlet ports and outlet ports are defined within a port plate that is located adjacent to the core and cam plate.

21. The fluid pump of any of claims 1720, wherein the pressure relief channel is positioned within a port plate that is located adjacent to the core and the cam plate.

22. The fluid pump of claim 21, wherein the inlet channel and outlet channel are positioned within an end plate, wherein the port plate is located between the cam plate and the end plate.

23. The fluid pump of any of claims 1522, wherein each piston cavity includes a fluid opening extending to a core port surface, wherein each fluid opening is sequentially aligned with one of the two inlet ports, one of the two outlet ports, the other of the two inlet ports, and the other of the two outlet ports.

24. A fluid pump comprising: an end assembly having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein a fluid path extends between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the fluid path having centrifugal sections and centripetal sections that move the fluid through the fluid path; a cam plate having an inner cam surface defining the centrifugal sections and the centripetal sections; and a core assembly rotating about an axis of rotation, the core assembly comprising a plurality of piston members and a central core, wherein the rotation of the core assembly through the centrifugal sections and the centripetal sections defines a radial movement of each piston member;the plurality of piston members operating in a radially outward direction in the centrifugal sections to expand the corresponding flow cavities that draw fluid from an inlet port; and the plurality of piston members operating in a radially inward direction in the centripetal sections to compress the flow cavities and push the fluid out of the flow cavity and into an outlet port.

25. The fluid pump of claim 24, wherein the end assembly includes an end plate and a port plate, wherein the inlet port and outlet port are defined within the port plate which is located adjacent to the cam plate and core assembly.

26. The fluid pump of claim 25, wherein the end plate has an inlet channel in communication with the inlet port and an outlet channel in communication with the outlet port.

27. The fluid pump of claim 26, wherein the fluid inlet and fluid outlet are located on an outer surface of the end plate.

28. The fluid pump of any of claims 2627, wherein the inlet channel and outlet channel extend to a flow surface of the end plate, wherein the port plate is coupled to the flow surface.

29. The fluid pump of any of claims 2428, wherein the inlet port extends through an inlet channel to the fluid inlet and the outlet port extends through an outlet channel to the fluid outlet.

30. The fluid pump of any of claims 24-29, wherein the piston members are operatively arranged within the respective piston cavities of the central core, wherein the respective piston cavities guide the operation of the piston members in the radially outward and radially inward directions during rotational operation of the core.

31. The fluid pump of any of claim 2430, wherein the flow cavities are defined between the piston members and the respective piston cavities.

32. The fluid pump of any of claim 2431, wherein each respective piston cavity includes a fluid opening extending to a port surface of the core assembly, wherein the operation of the core assembly sequentially aligns the fluid openings with the inlet ports and outlet ports.

33. The fluid pump of any of claims 2432, wherein each of the piston members is pushed in an elliptical motion about an axis of rotation of the core assembly, wherein the elliptical motion is defined by a centrifugal force generated during the rotation of the core and a centripetal force exerted by the inner surface of the cam.

34. The fluid pump of any of claims 2433, wherein the end assembly includes a pressure relief channel extending between the centrifugal sections.

35. The fluid pump of any of claims 2434, wherein the centrifugal sections and the centripetal sections sequentially define a suction phase and a pressure phase, respectively, of the piston members, wherein the operation of the piston members between the suction phase and the pressure phase moves the fluid from the inlet port, into the flow cavities, and into the outlet port.

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