Patent attributes
A screw pump includes a housing and a pair of intermeshing screw rotors. An end face of the rotor adjacent to an inlet port of the housing is provided with an inlet opening. Each rotor has a first portion whose lead angle changes. The first portions and the housing cooperate to form an inlet space. During rotation of the rotors, communication between the inlet space and the inlet port is blocked by the first portions and the housing thereby to form a closed pump space adjacent to the inlet space. Volume of the pump space is set smaller than the maximum volume of the inlet space. A closure member is provided which covers at least a part of the inlet openings. The closure member closes the inlet space when the volume of the inlet space exceeds that of the pump space.
