US 12,460,639 B2
Scroll pump with bearing diaphragm
Alan Ernest Kinnaird Holbrook, Burgess Hill (GB); Nigel Paul Schofield, Burgess Hill (GB); and David Bedwell, Burgess Hill (GB)
Assigned to Edwards Limited
Appl. No. 18/848,365
Filed by Edwards Limited, Burgess Hill (GB)
PCT Filed Mar. 30, 2023, PCT No. PCT/GB2023/050826
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 18, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/187379, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 5, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2204519 (GB), filed on Mar. 30, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0207587 A1, Jun. 26, 2025
Int. Cl. F04C 18/02 (2006.01); F04C 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC F04C 18/0215 (2013.01) [F04C 29/005 (2013.01); F04C 2220/10 (2013.01); F04C 2240/52 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A non-contacting scroll pump, comprising:
an orbiting scroll;
a fixed scroll;
a drive shaft coupled to the orbiting scroll, wherein the drive shaft is movable relative to the fixed scroll in an axial direction;
a first annular bearing and a second annular bearing extending around the drive shaft for supporting and facilitating rotation of the drive shaft;
a first diaphragm attached to the first annular bearing to support the first annular bearing, wherein the first diaphragm is flexible in the axial direction to allow the first annular bearing to move in the axial direction, thereby facilitating the movability of the drive shaft relative to the fixed scroll in the axial direction; and
a second diaphragm attached to the second annular bearing to support the second annular bearing, wherein the second diaphragm is flexible in the axial direction to allow the second annular bearing to move in the axial direction, thereby facilitating the movability of the drive shaft relative to the fixed scroll in the axial direction.