Reducing flow communication between chambers of guided-vane rotary apparatus

摘要

A guided-vane rotary apparatus having working chambers and rotor hub sectors which are separated from one another by vane assemblies and which rotate within a housing opening embody features which reduce the likelihood of flow communication between the working chambers. To this end, the apparatus includes sealing arrangements which are disposed between the walls of the housing opening and the vane assemblies and between the vane assemblies and the hub sectors between which the vane assemblies are positioned. Furthermore, the housing is provided with seal-accepting recesses adjacent its opening, and a sealing ring is closely accepted by each recess. Wave springs are disposed between the bottom of the recesses and the sealing rings for biasing the sealing rings axially of the apparatus and into sealing engagement with adjacent surfaces of the apparatus.

主权项

1. A guided-vane rotary apparatus comprising:
a housing including a body having two opposite, substantially planar side faces, an opening having an interior and an outer wall which extends between the two opposite, substantially planar side faces and a seal-accepting recess encircling the opening on one of the two opposite, substantially planar side faces, the outer wall of the opening terminating at an edge disposed adjacent the one of the two opposite, substantially planar side faces, the recess defining a bottom surface which is substantially parallel to the at least one of the two opposite, substantially planar side faces and an outermost surface which extends between the bottom surface and the at least one of the two opposite, substantially planar side faces wherein the bottom surface of the seal-accepting recess extends from the outermost surface of the seal-accepting recess to the edge of the opening so that the seal-accepting recess is contiguous with the opening at the edge thereof; a rotor assembly including a body mounted within the opening of the housing body for rotation about an axis and defining a slot extending radially of the rotation axis, and the rotor assembly further includes a disk which is mounted adjacent the one of the two opposite, substantially planar side faces of the housing body so as to cover the opening of the housing body and wherein the disk includes an inner side face which faces the one of the two opposite, substantially planar side faces of the housing body, and the one of the two opposite, planar side faces of the housing body defines a cam groove which encircles the opening in the one of the two opposite, substantially planar side faces and is disposed outboard of the recess defined therein; a vane assembly positioned within the slot of the rotor assembly body for movement radially thereof between alternative radial positions; means cooperating between the vane assembly and the cam groove for coordinating the radial movement of the vane assembly relative to the rotor assembly body with the rotation of the rotor assembly body about the rotation axis so that the vane assembly is forcibly moved radially inwardly and outwardly with respect to the rotor assembly body by a corresponding amount; and a sealing ring which is accepted by the seal-accepting recess and includes a front face which faces the inner side face of the disk and a rear face opposite the front face; and biasing means disposed between the bottom surface of the seal-accepting recess and the rear face of the sealing ring for urging the front face of the sealing ring axially with respect to the housing body opening and against the inner side face of the disk; so that when the front face of the sealing ring is urged against the inner side face of the disk as aforesaid, the interior of the opening is sealed from the one of the two opposite, substantially planar side faces of the housing body at the edge of the opening by the sealing ring.