Lubricant circulation system

• US 8,196,708 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chang Cheng Kung
• Original Assignee: Chang Cheng Kung
• Inventors: Kung, Chang Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansen, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, HENRY Y
• Application Number:
  US12/394,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20100158736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.22, 184/27.4, 184/29, 184/32, 184/34, 417/98, 417/395, 417/384, 417/385, 417/383, 417/388, 165/165
• US Class Current: 184/6.22
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/06 Pumps having fluid drive

Abstract

A lubricant circulation system (10) includes a lubricant supply cup (1) containing a lubricant (6) and having an oil return hole (13) connected to an oil return pipe (16) of a rotary equipment (5). A pump seat (2) is coupled to the lubricant supply cup (1) and includes a pump chamber (253) and a pump outlet (254) connected to an oil supply pipe (256) of the rotary equipment (5). The lubricant (6) in the lubricant supply cup (1) flows into the pump chamber (253). A pump body (3) is coupled to the pump seat (2) and includes a pressure chamber (34) having a pressure inlet (341) and a pressure outlet (342) with a pressure relief valve (35). By introducing a pressurized fluid (7) from the pressure inlet (341) into the pressure chamber (34), a piston rod (27) in the pump chamber (253) reciprocally moves to allow the lubricant (6) in the pump chamber (253) to be successively supplied to the rotary equipment (5). A cooling device (4) is provided on the lubricant supply cup (1) for cooling the lubricant (6) before it enters the rotary equipment (5).

Claims

1. A lubricant circulation system comprising:

a lubricant supply cup including an oil chamber containing a lubricant, with the lubricant supply cup further including an oil return hole adapted to communicate the oil chamber with an oil return pipe of a rotary equipment for returning the lubricant from the rotary equipment into the oil chamber with the lubricant supply cup further including a lower portion having an oil supply outlet extending along a longitudinal axis of the lubricant supply cup;

a pump seat including an upper end engaged with the lower portion of the lubricant supply cup, with the pump seat further including a first side face and a second side face spaced from the first side face in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, with the pump seat further including a pump chamber extending from the first side face towards but spaced from the second side face and receiving a piston rod, with the pump chamber including an inner end in an interior of the pump seat, with a pump inlet being provided between the inner end of the pump chamber and the upper end of the pump seat and in communication with the oil supply outlet of the lubricant supply cup, with a pump outlet being provided between the inner end of the pump chamber and the second side face and adapted to be connected to an oil supply pipe of the rotary equipment for supplying the lubricant to the rotary equipment; and

a pump body including a coupling surface engaged with the first side face of the pump seat, with the pump body further including a first side and a second side spaced from the first side and extending in a direction transverse to the coupling surface, with the pump body further including a pressure chamber extending from the first side to the second side and having a pressure inlet in the first side and a pressure outlet in the second side, with the pump body further including a pressure relief valve mounted in the pressure outlet for closing or opening the pressure outlet, and with a fluid passage being provided between the pressure chamber and the coupling surface of the pump body;

wherein the lubricant in the lubricant supply cup flows into the inner end of the pump chamber through the oil supply outlet of the lubricant supply cup and the pump inlet of the pump seat, and wherein a pressurized fluid introduced from the pressure inlet into the pressure chamber applies a pressure to the piston rod through the fluid passage of the pump body during closure of the pressure outlet and exits the pressure outlet when the pressure of pressurized fluid flow is greater than a pressure value so that the pressure relief valve opens the pressure outlet, reciprocating the piston rod in the pump chamber to successively supply the lubricant in the inner end of the pump chamber to the rotary equipment,

with a diaphragm being provided between the coupling surface of the pump body and the first side face of the pump seat, with the oil supply outlet of the lower portion of the lubricant supply cup including a plurality of longitudinal holes each extending from a lower end face of the lubricant supply cup into the oil chamber along the longitudinal axis, and with the pump chamber extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,

with the lubricant supply cup further including a first side wall and a second side wall spaced from the first side wall in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with the lower portion of the lubricant supply cup including a plurality of cooling holes spaced from each other and each extending from the first side wall to the second side wall and not in communication with the longitudinal holes, with the lubricant circulation system further comprising a cooling device for cooling the lubricant, with the cooling device including first and second cover plates respectively mounted to the first and second side walls of the lubricant supply cup, with the first cover plate including a coolant inlet in fluid communication with one of the cooling holes for feeding a coolant into the cooling holes, and with the second cover plate including a coolant outlet in fluid communication with one of the cooling holes allowing the coolant in the cooling holes to exit the coolant outlet,

with the first cover plate further including a first groove in an inner surface thereof and in communication with the coolant inlet, with the first cover plate further including a first continuous, zigzag groove in the inner surface thereof and spaced from the first groove, with the second cover plate further including a second groove in an inner surface thereof and in communication with the coolant outlet, with the second cover plate further including a second continuous, zigzag groove in the inner surface thereof and spaced from the second groove, with the first groove of the first cover plate being in communication with the second continuous, zigzag groove of the second cover plate through a portion of the cooling holes, and with the first continuous, zigzag groove of the first cover plate being in communication with the second continuous, zigzag groove and the second groove of the second cover plate through another portion of the cooling holes.

2. The lubricant circulation system as claimed in claim 1, with the pump inlet including a recess in the upper end of the pump seat for receiving the lubricant from the oil supply outlet of the lubricant supply cup, with a first check valve being mounted in the pump inlet for allowing flow of the lubricant from the recess to the inner end of the pump chamber and for preventing the lubricant from flowing from the inner end to the recess, and with a second check valve being mounted in the pump outlet for allowing flow of the lubricant from the inner end of the pump chamber to the pump outlet and for preventing the lubricant from flowing from the pump outlet to the inner end of the pump chamber.

3. The lubricant circulation system as claimed in claim 1, with the piston rod including a first end having a piston head and adjacent to the first side face of the pump seat, with the piston rod further including a second end adjacent to the inner end of the pump chamber, and with a spring being mounted in the pump chamber to bias the piston rod towards the first side face of the pump seat.

4. The lubricant circulation system as claimed in claim 3, with the fluid passage including a recessed portion formed in the coupling surface of the pump body and facing the first end of the piston rod, with the diaphragm being flexible between the recessed portion and the first end of the piston rod, and with the fluid passage further including a plurality of holes spaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the coupling surface and extending between the pressure chamber and the recessed portion.