Gas vane pump, and method of operating the pump

摘要

A gas vane pump wherein a lubricant is intermittently introduced into a housing during rotation of a rotor, through a supply passage formed through the housing and the rotor, and the relative position between the rotor having a diametric hole and the housing having a communication groove is determined such that when the rotor is at an angular position in the middle of a predetermined angular range relative to the housing and the hole is in communication with the groove, a point of contact between a vane movably held by the rotor and the inner circumferential surface of the housing is located at the lowest position of the inner circumferential surface. When the rotor is stopped within the predetermined angular range, the vane divides the remaining lubricant into two portions, which are discharged at different times, making it possible to reduce the load on the vane upon restarting the pump.