Vacuum pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9046103-B2
Application number	US-66347508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2008
Priority date	Jul 2, 2007
Publication date	Jun 2, 2015
Grant date	Jun 2, 2015

Abstract

A vacuum pump ( 50 ) comprises a casing and a rotor located in the casing, the rotor comprising a shaft ( 52 ) supported by a bearing arrangement ( 64, 66 ) for rotation relative to the casing. A lubricant reservoir ( 82 ) is provided for storing lubricant for lubricating a rolling bearing ( 64 ) of the bearing arrangement, and a brush ( 84 ) comprising a set of bristles ( 86 ) held by the reservoir transfers lubricant from the reservoir to the rotor.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vacuum pump comprising:
a housing;
a bearing arrangement;
a rotor supported by the bearing arrangement for rotation relative to the housing;
a lubricant reservoir that extends about an axis of rotation of the rotor, wherein the lubricant reservoir stores lubricant for lubricating a rolling bearing of the bearing arrangement, and wherein the lubricant reservoir comprises a fibrous annular substrate having voids within which the lubricant is stored; and
a brush for transferring lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the rotor, the brush comprising a set of bristles held by the lubricant reservoir, wherein bristles of the set of bristles extend into at least some of the voids, and wherein bristles of the set of bristles held by the lubricant reservoir come into contact with lubricant within the lubricant reservoir.

2. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , wherein the brush is arranged substantially orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the rotor.

3. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , wherein the brush is inclined towards the rolling bearing.

4. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , wherein the brush is retained within an aperture formed in the lubricant reservoir.

5. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , wherein the brush comprises a plurality of brushes for transferring lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the rotor, each of the plurality of brushes comprising sets of bristles held by the lubricant reservoir.

6. The vacuum pump of claim 5 , wherein respective brushes of the plurality of brushes are angularly spaced about the rotor.

7. The vacuum pump of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of brushes comprises a first brush and a second brush, and wherein the first and second brushes are substantially diametrically opposed.

8. The vacuum pump of claim 5 , wherein respective brushes of the plurality of brushes contact the rotor at locations which are staggered along a length of the rotor.

9. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant reservoir is formed from a multi-component material.

10. The vacuum pump of claim 9 , wherein the multi-component material comprises polypropylene and polyethylene.

11. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , wherein the brush comprises a natural material.

12. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , wherein the brush comprises a synthetic material.

13. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , in the form of a turbomolecular vacuum pump.

14. The vacuum pump of claim 1 , wherein the brush is configured to contact a surface of the rotor.

15. A vacuum pump comprising:
a housing;
a bearing arrangement;
a rotor supported by the bearing arrangement for rotation relative to the housing;
a lubricant reservoir that extends about an axis of rotation of the rotor, wherein the lubricant reservoir stores lubricant for lubricating a rolling bearing of the bearing arrangement, wherein the lubricant reservoir defines a bore, and wherein the rotor is at least partially disposed in the bore;
a brush for transferring lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the rotor, the brush comprising a set of bristles held by the lubricant reservoir, wherein bristles of the set of bristles held by the lubricant reservoir come into contact with lubricant within the lubricant reservoir, wherein the set of bristles extend across the bore, and wherein a first end of the set of bristles is held by the lubricant reservoir at a first location of the lubricant reservoir and a second end of the set of bristles is held by the lubricant reservoir at a second location of the lubricant reservoir.

16. The vacuum pump of claim 15 , wherein the first location is substantially diametrically opposite to the second location.

17. The vacuum pump of claim 15 , wherein the brush is arranged substantially orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the rotor.

18. The vacuum pump of claim 15 , wherein the brush comprises a plurality of brushes for transferring lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to the rotor, each of the plurality of brushes comprising sets of bristles held by the lubricant reservoir.

19. The vacuum pump of claim 18 , wherein respective brushes of the plurality of brushes contact the rotor at locations which are staggered along a length of the rotor.

20. The vacuum pump of claim 15 , wherein the lubricant reservoir comprises a multi-component material, and wherein the multi-component material comprises polypropylene and polyethylene.

Assignees

• Waye Andrew
• Spitteler Mark
• Edwards Ltd

Inventors

• Waye Andrew
• Spitteler Mark

Classifications

• F04C29/02

  Lubrication (of machines or engines in general F01M); Lubricant separation (separation in general B01D) · CPC title

• F04C2240/50

  Bearings · CPC title

• F04D29/059

  Roller bearings · CPC title

• F16C33/6659

  Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles · CPC title

• F16N7/12

  with feed by capillary action, e.g. by wicks · CPC title