Vane pump device and hydraulic apparatus

1. A vane pump device comprising:

an even number of vanes;

a rotor that includes vane grooves which are recessed from an outer circumferential surface of the rotor in a rotational radial direction such that the vanes are supported to be movable in the rotational radial direction, and that rotates due to a rotating force received from a rotation shaft;

a cam ring that includes an inner circumferential surface facing the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, and is disposed to surround the rotor;

an inner plate disposed on one end portion side of the cam ring in a rotational axial direction to cover an opening of the cam ring; and

an outer plate disposed on the other end portion side of the cam ring in the rotational axial direction to cover an opening of the cam ring,

wherein multiple communication portions are formed separately from each other in a rotation direction in cam ring side end surfaces of the inner plate and the outer plate, and communicate with a center side space which is a space in the vane groove on a rotation center side,

wherein a position of an upstream end portion, in the rotation direction, of one communication portion of the multiple communication portions and a position of an upstream end portion, in the rotation direction, of another communication portion of the multiple communication portions are point-symmetrical with each other with respect to the rotation center,

wherein multiple pump chambers are formed to suction and discharge a working fluid multiple times during one revolution of the rotation shaft, and each of the multiple pump chambers being formed by two adjacent vanes, the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, the inner circumferential surface of the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate, and

wherein the one communication portion and the other communication portion have different lengths in the rotation direction and are separated from each other in the rotation direction between one discharge port discharging the working fluid and a suction port through which the working fluid is suctioned into one of the multiple pump chambers that discharges the working fluid via another discharge port different from the one discharge port.

2. The vane pump device according to claim 1 ,

wherein multiple pump chambers are formed to discharge a working fluid at multiple different discharge pressures during one revolution of the rotation shaft, and each of the pump chambers is formed by two adjacent vanes, the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, the inner circumferential surface of the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate, and

wherein the one communication portion and the other communication portion are separated from each other between the one discharge port discharging the working fluid at one discharge pressure of the multiple different discharge pressures and the suction port through which the working fluid is suctioned into a pump chamber discharging the working fluid at the other discharge pressure.

3. The vane pump device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a housing that accommodates the even number of vanes, the rotor, the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate, and includes a first discharge port discharging the working fluid, which is discharged from the one discharge port, to the outside, and a second discharge port discharging the working fluid, which is discharged from the other discharge port, to the outside.

4. The vane pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the one communication portion and the other communication portion are diametrically opposed to one another.

5. The vane pump device according to claim 1 , wherein all of the multiple communication portions formed as part of the inner plate have different lengths relative to one another and all of the multiple communication portions formed as part of the outer plate have different lengths relative to one another.

6. A hydraulic apparatus comprising:

a vane pump device including:

an even number of vanes;

a rotor that includes vane grooves which are recessed from an outer circumferential surface of the rotor in a rotational radial direction such that the vanes are supported to be movable in the rotational radial direction, and that rotates due to a rotating force received from a rotation shaft;

a cam ring that includes an inner circumferential surface facing the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, and is disposed to surround the rotor;

an inner plate disposed on one end portion side of the cam ring in a rotational axial direction, and to cover an opening of the cam ring; and

an outer plate disposed on the other end portion side of the cam ring in the rotational axial direction, and to cover an opening of the cam ring, wherein the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate form multiple suction ports through which a working fluid is suctioned into a pump chamber, and multiple discharge ports through which the working fluid is discharged from the pump chamber;

a first guide passage that guides the working fluid, which is discharged from one discharge port of the multiple discharge ports of the vane pump device, to a fluid machine;

a second guide passage that guides the working fluid, which is discharged from another discharge port of the multiple discharge ports of the vane pump device, to a portion other than the fluid machine; and

a switching valve that is provided on the second guide passage and switches a flow path such that the working fluid discharged from the other discharge port is guided to the other portion or the first guide passage,

wherein multiple communication portions are formed separately from each other in a rotation direction in a cam ring side end surface of at least one of the inner plate and the outer plate of the vane pump device, and communicate with a center side space which is a space in the vane groove on a rotation center side,

wherein a position of an upstream end portion, in the rotation direction, of one communication portion of the multiple communication portions and a position of an upstream end portion, in the rotation direction, of another communication portion of the multiple communication portions are point-symmetrical with each other with respect to the rotation center,

wherein in the vane pump device, multiple pump chambers are formed to suction and discharge the working fluid multiple times during one revolution of the rotation shaft, and each of the multiple pump chambers is formed by two adjacent vanes, the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, the inner circumferential surface of the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate, and

wherein in the vane pump device, the one communication portion and the other communication portion are separated from each other in the rotation direction between one discharge port discharging the working fluid and a suction port through which the working fluid is suctioned into one of the multiple pump chambers that discharges the working fluid via another discharge port different from the one discharge port.

7. The hydraulic apparatus according to claim 6 ,

wherein the vane pump device further includes a housing that accommodates the even number of vanes, the rotor, the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate, and includes a first discharge port discharging the working fluid, which is discharged from the one discharge port, to the outside, and a second discharge port discharging the working fluid, which is discharged from the other discharge port, to the outside.

8. A vane pump device comprising:

an even number of vanes;

a rotor that includes vane grooves which are recessed from an outer circumferential surface of the rotor in a rotational radial direction such that the vanes are supported to be movable in the rotational radial direction, and that rotates due to a rotating force received from a rotation shaft;

a cam ring that includes an inner circumferential surface facing the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, and is disposed to surround the rotor;

an inner plate disposed on one end portion side of the cam ring in a rotational axial direction to cover an opening of the cam ring; and

an outer plate disposed on the other end portion side of the cam ring in the rotational axial direction to cover an opening of the cam ring,

wherein multiple communication portions are formed separately from each other in a rotation direction in cam ring side end surfaces of the inner plate and the outer plate, and communicate with a center side space which is a space in the vane groove on a rotation center side,

wherein a position of an upstream end portion, in the rotation direction, of one communication portion of the multiple communication portions and a position of an upstream end portion, in the rotation direction, of another communication portion of the multiple communication portions are point-symmetrical with each other with respect to the rotation center,

wherein multiple pump chambers are formed to discharge a working fluid at multiple different discharge pressures during one revolution of the rotation shaft, and each of the pump chambers is formed by two adjacent vanes, the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, the inner circumferential surface of the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate, and

wherein the one communication portion and the other communication portion have different lengths in the rotation direction and are separated from each other between one discharge port discharging the working fluid at one discharge pressure of the multiple different discharge pressures and a suction port through which the working fluid is suctioned into a pump chamber discharging the working fluid at the other discharge pressure.

9. The vane pump device according to claim 8 , wherein the one communication portion and the other communication portion are diametrically opposed to one another.

10. The vane pump device according to claim 8 , wherein all of the multiple communication portions formed as part of the inner plate have different lengths relative to one another and all of the multiple communication portions formed as part of the outer plate have different lengths relative to one another.

11. A hydraulic apparatus comprising:

a vane pump device including:

an even number of vanes;

a rotor that includes vane grooves which are recessed from an outer circumferential surface of the rotor in a rotational radial direction such that the vanes are supported to be movable in the rotational radial direction, and that rotates due to a rotating force received from a rotation shaft;

a cam ring that includes an inner circumferential surface facing the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, and is disposed to surround the rotor;

an inner plate disposed on one end portion side of the cam ring in a rotational axial direction, and to cover an opening of the cam ring; and

an outer plate disposed on the other end portion side of the cam ring in the rotational axial direction, and to cover an opening of the cam ring, wherein the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate form multiple suction ports through which a working fluid is suctioned into a pump chamber, and multiple discharge ports through which the working fluid is discharged from the pump chamber;

a first guide passage that guides the working fluid, which is discharged from one discharge port of the multiple discharge ports of the vane pump device, to a fluid machine;

a second guide passage that guides the working fluid, which is discharged from another discharge port of the multiple discharge ports of the vane pump device, to a portion other than the fluid machine; and

a switching valve that is provided on the second guide passage and switches a flow path such that the working fluid discharged from the other discharge port is guided to the other portion or the first guide passage,

wherein multiple communication portions are formed separately from each other in a rotation direction in a cam ring side end surface of at least one of the inner plate and the outer plate of the vane pump device, and communicate with a center side space which is a space in the vane groove on a rotation center side,

wherein a position of an upstream end portion, in the rotation direction, of one communication portion of the multiple communication portions and a position of an upstream end portion, in the rotation direction, of another communication portion of the multiple communication portions are point-symmetrical with each other with respect to the rotation center,

wherein in the vane pump device, multiple pump chambers are formed to discharge a working fluid at multiple different discharge pressures during one revolution of the rotation shaft, and each of the pump chambers is formed by two adjacent vanes, the outer circumferential surface of the rotor, the inner circumferential surface of the cam ring, the inner plate, and the outer plate, and

wherein in the vane pump device, the one communication portion and the other communication portion are separated from each other between one discharge port discharging the working fluid at one discharge pressure of the multiple different discharge pressures and a suction port through which the working fluid is suctioned into a pump chamber discharging the working fluid at the other discharge pressure.