Pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850884-B2
Application number	US-201514955457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Dec 1, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

In an embodiment, a variable flow pump may include a swashplate rotatably driven by a driveshaft. The swashplate may be movable between a first and second tilt angle relative to the driveshaft. A piston pump may be reciprocatingly driven by the swashplate based upon, at least in part, the tilt angle of the swashplate. An actuator piston may be moveable between a first and second position based upon, at least in part, a downstream backpressure of a fluid pumped by the piston pump. An actuator assembly may be moveable between a first and second position based upon, at least in part, the position of the actuator piston. The actuator assembly may include a swashplate driver configured urge the swashplate between the first and second tilt angles, and a biasing driver configured to apply a force urging the swashplate into contact with the swashplate driver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable flow pump comprising:
a swashplate coupled with a driveshaft for rotatably driving the swashplate, the swashplate pivotally coupled with the driveshaft having a pivot axis through a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft to be movable between a first tilt angle relative to the driveshaft and a second tilt angle relative to the driveshaft;
a piston pump interacting with the swashplate for being reciprocatingly driven based upon, at least in part, the tilt angle of the swashplate;
an actuator piston moveable between a first position and a second position based upon, at least in part, a downstream backpressure of a fluid pumped by the piston pump;
an actuator assembly moveable between a first position and a second position based upon, at least in part, the position of the actuator piston, the actuator assembly including a swashplate driver configured urge the swashplate between the first tilt angle and the second tilt angle, and a biasing driver configured to apply a force urging the swashplate into contact with the swashplate driver.

2. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein the swashplate is pivotally coupled to the driveshaft for tilting movement relative to the driveshaft.

3. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein the piston pump is radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of the driveshaft.

4. The variable flow pump according to claim 3 , comprising a plurality of piston pumps radially spaced around the longitudinal axis of the driveshaft.

5. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein the piston pump is reciprocatingly driven a relatively smaller displacement when the swashplate is at the first tilt angle, and the piston pump is reciprocatingly driven a relatively larger displacement when the swashplate is at the second tilt angle.

6. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the actuator piston is part the actuator assembly.

7. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator piston comprises an annular piston positioned around at least a portion of the swashplate.

8. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator piston comprises a plurality of pistons radially spaced around a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft.

9. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a biasing member biasing the actuator assembly toward the second position.

10. The variable flow pump according to claim 9 , wherein the biasing member comprises a mainspring disposed around a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft.

11. The variable flow pump according to claim 9 , wherein the biasing member comprises a plurality of springs radially spaced around a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft.

12. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein the swashplate driver comprises a fixed-length member transmitting displacement between an actuator body of the actuator assembly and the swashplate.

13. The variable flow pump according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing driver comprises an expandable member disposed between an actuator body of the actuator assembly and the swashplate.

14. The variable flow pump according to claim 13 , wherein the expandable member comprises a spring loaded pin.

15. A variable flow pump comprising:
a swashplate coupled with a driveshaft for rotatably driving the swashplate, the swashplate being pivotally coupled with the driveshaft having a pivot axis through a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft to be movable between a first tilt angle relative to the driveshaft and a second tilt angle relative to the driveshaft;
a piston pump interacting with the swashplate for being reciprocatingly driven based upon, at least in part, the tilt angle of the swashplate; and
an actuator coupled with the swashplate for moving the swashplate between the first tilt angle and the second tilt angle based upon, at least in part, a downstream backpressure of a fluid pumped by the piston pump.

16. The variable flow pump of claim 15 , wherein the actuator comprises an actuator piston moveable between a first position and a second position based upon, at least in part, the downstream backpressure of the fluid pumped by the piston pump.

17. The variable flow pump of claim 16 , wherein the actuator comprises a biasing member biasing the swashplate toward the second tilt angle, the actuator piston at least partially countering the biasing member to move the swashplate to the first tilt angle.

18. A variable flow pump comprising:
a driveshaft rotatably driven by a prime mover;
a swashplate coupled with the driveshaft for rotatably driving the swashplate, the swashplate pivotally coupled with the drive shaft having a pivot axis through a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft and movable between a first tilt angle relative to the drive shaft and a second tilt angle relative to the driveshaft;
an actuator piston fluidly coupled with a pumped fluid for moving the actuator piston between a first position and a second position based upon, at least in part, a pressure of the pumped fluid;
an actuator assembly coupled with the swashplate and the actuator piston, the actuator assembly moving the swashplate to the first tilt angle when the actuator piston is in the first position, and moving the swashplate to the second tilt angle when the actuator piston is in the second position.

19. The variable flow pump of claim 18 , wherein the actuator assembly comprises:
a swashplate driver moving the swashplate between the first tilt angle and the second tilt angle; and
a biasing driver configured to apply a force urging the swashplate into contact with the swashplate driver.

20. The variable flow pump of claim 19 , wherein the swashplate driver comprises a fixed-length member and the biasing driver comprises a spring-driven member, the swashplate driver and the biasing driver being disposed on opposed sides of the pivotal coupling between the driveshaft and the swashplate.

Assignees

• Fna Group Inc

Inventors

• Alexander Gus
• Kolicheski Paulo Rogerio Funk

Classifications

• F04B1/295

  by changing the inclination of the swash plate · CPC title

• F15B2211/20553

  with pilot circuit, e.g. for controlling a swash plate · CPC title

• F04B1/124 Primary

  Pistons · CPC title

• F04B1/146

  Swash plates; Actuating elements · CPC title

• F01B3/102

  Changing the piston stroke by changing the position of the swash plate · CPC title